La Muerta Mystery
by Lady Emily
Summary: Nancy Drew, the Hardys, and their friends are on vacation at the beach in La Muerta, South Carolina. When one of them is kidnapped, the group faces a test of wits and loyalties. Completed!
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: I don't own the Drews, the Hardys, or any of their assorted friends and associates. You'll just have to trust me on that one.  
  
A/N- La Muerta, South Carolina, is a fictional place. (At least I think I made it up.) Then again, you won't find Bayport or River Heights on any map, either.  
  
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Nancy sat up on her beach towel and glanced around. Bess Marvin, one of her best friends, was flirting with a blonde lifeguard. How typical. She spotted her other best friend, George Fayne, playing a heated game of beach volleyball with Joe Hardy, his girlfriend Vanessa Bender, and Frank's girlfriend Callie Shaw. She sighed. "I love summer!" she said to no one in particular.  
  
"You said it!" Frank Hardy exclaimed, coming up behind her. He tossed her a soda and sat down next to her.  
  
"Thanks." Nancy's heart rate tripled, something that sometimes happened around Frank. Stop it, she told herself. You have a boyfriend, who is coming here tonight. He has a girlfriend. Who is standing less than thirty feet away!  
  
She must have looked lost in thought, because Frank raised an eyebrow at Nancy. "Are you okay?" he asked.  
  
"No, no, I'm great!" She replied, embarrassed. She stood up quickly and said, "Race you to the water!" Then she took off at a run.  
  
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Callie served the ball over the net. A movement to her left caught her eye. It was Nancy. And Frank. Her boyfriend. Together. A feeling of annoyance spread over her. She couldn't stand Nancy Drew, mainly because of her relationship with Frank. Okay, ALL because of her relationship with Frank. Frank always told her that he was just friends with Nancy, but Callie knew better. Of course she trusted him, but how could she not be worried? They could practically read each other's minds, and they did. Frequently. That was another thing about Nancy. She was so...like Frank.  
  
She was jolted out of her reverie when George's shoulder connected with her thigh. "Ow, that would have been your ball." George grumbled.  
  
Vanessa and Joe slapped hands. "Our serve!" Vanessa called. Callie picked up the ball from where it had fallen inches from her feet and tossed it to Joe. Joe was also watching Frank and Nancy. He felt bad for Callie, but he couldn't deny that Nan and Frank would make a great couple. Not that it would ever happen.  
  
Callie didn't want to look at Nancy and Frank, but she couldn't help it. They were in the ocean treading water, and both were laughing. Callie couldn't stand it. To the others, she said, "Hey, listen, I'm ready for a break. I'll be up in the room." She picked up her towel and flip flops and stalked off the beach, her good mood gone.  
  
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Ned pulled up to La Casa Verde motel in his car. As its name implied, the motel was green. Ned got out of the car and walked up the pastel- green stairs until he reached his room, number 221. It was empty. He dropped his duffel bag on the bed and knocked on the door next to his. He knew that his friends had rented adjacent rooms. There was nobody there, but he was early, he realized. He knocked on the next door. A voice yelled harshly, "Who's that?"  
  
Ned opened the door to see Callie lying on the bed reading a book. He had met Callie during a case Nancy had solved with the Hardys. He liked her immensely. She reminded him of himself in a way. He could see she wasn't happy. "Something wrong?" he asked.  
  
She looked up and smiled. "Hi, Ned. Good to see you." She paused and sighed, but her smile disappeared. "No, nothing's wrong."  
  
Ned was suddenly suspicious. "Where are Nancy and Frank?" he asked, with a slight edge to his voice. He hated himself for not trusting Nancy, but...  
  
"They're at the beach." Her words came out with such force that she was practically spitting.  
  
Ned was alarmed. She was really upset. "Did something happen?" he queried anxiously. They both knew what he was talking about.  
  
Callie sighed again. "No, nothing really. It's just..." she trailed off and looked at Ned. He could see that her eyes were bloodshot, as if she'd been crying. His heart went out to her. After all, they were in the same position.  
  
He sat next to her on the bed. "I think I know what you mean." he soothed. "It's like they have some kind of connection and they flirt with each other even when they don't intend to." Callie nodded miserably and laid her head on his shoulder. Ned put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her into a half-hug. His other hand stroked her long blonde hair. Ned smiled down at her slightly. "Maybe we have a connection, too." He hugged Callie with nothing more than a friendly attempt to comfort her. Then the door swung open, and the person who stepped inside didn't know what to think. 


	2. Chapter Two

A/N- Well, I can't complain about not getting reviews here! Looks like the majority wants to read about Nancy and Frank. Who can blame them? They are the perfect couple. Some people want me to mix some Callie/ Ned in there. Maybe I will. And, in response to Sarah Skywalker's review, there is no way it will go any farther than kissing. Anyway, please read and review. Thanks!  
  
Disclaimer: Nobody in this story whom you recognize is mine. The plot is mine, though, unless a dead person communicated it to me in a dream. But I don't think that happened. The place is mine too. I made it up. (Not South Carolina, that's real, just the town of La Muerta)

* * *

That night, George and Vanessa sat on George's bed watching a tennis match on television. Bess lay back on her bed, thinking. Only hours ago she and Vanessa had walked in to Callie's room to find her locked in Ned's embrace. They had greeted him, pretending they hadn't seen anything. Surely it was nothing, Callie and Ned were friends, and it was just a hug. There was nothing wrong with that.  
  
Maybe it was Bess's romantic nature, but she couldn't just let that be that. What if there was something going on between Ned and Callie? What would Frank and Nancy think? Bess's thoughts shifted to them. She had accidentally witnessed them kissing at the end of a case they had solved in Egypt. She had pretended it hadn't happened. Neither she nor Nancy had ever talked about it, but now the thought was fresh in her mind.  
  
Nancy and Frank? It was plausible, probable even. The wheels in Bess's head turned faster now. What if she stepped in to play matchmaker? No serious manipulation or anything, she figured, all they needed was a little push in the right direction...  
  
Bess sat up abruptly, causing the other girls to look at her. Should she share her plan with them? Of course, she decided. She would need all the help she could get.  
  
"Guys," Bess ventured. "I just had a brilliant idea." She stopped there, waiting for the sarcastic response she expected from George.  
  
"Oh boy," said George, right on schedule. "Here we go."  
  
Bess shook her head. "I think we should set up Frank and Nancy." The words came out faster than she wanted them to, and she realized that the others might not think it was smart to meddle in their friends' love lives.  
  
Vanessa gave her a look that said, 'Why would we want to do that?' Bess expected that; Vanessa hadn't ever seen the Nancy/ Frank chemistry in action.  
  
George, on the other hand, said sarcastically, "Oh, great idea, Bess. I suppose Ned and Callie already gave their blessings?" 

Bess rolled her eyes. "Don't be stupid, we'll set Ned up with Callie!" Her voice was exasperated, as if she couldn't see why her simple plan was so hard to understand.  
  
By this time, Vanessa was really confused. Frank and Nancy? Ned and Callie? "Um, Bess? Why?" Her question came out forcefully.  
  
Bess explained earnestly. "Because Frank and Nancy are perfect for each other." she said simply. George didn't contradict her this time.  
  
But Vanessa had more questions. "What if they don't want to be set up?"  
  
Bess smiled, "The point is, they don't know we're playing matchmaker until after they realize that they're in love!"  
  
"But what about Callie? She's my best friend!" Vanessa countered. "I can see her taking offence to having her boyfriend fall in love with Nancy!"  
  
George jumped in. "Really, Callie and Ned are in the same position as Nan and Frank..." she said slowly, as if she were starting to grasp the concept.  
  
Bess beamed at her cousin. "Exactly! Who's to say that Callie and Ned aren't soul mates too?"  
  
Vanessa smiled then too. This was starting to sound like fun! But she had one last question. The big one. "What if they don't fall in love?"  
  
Bess considered this for a moment. "They will." she said confidently. "They've been in love since the beginning, but they're too stubborn to accept it. Now's the perfect time to get them to see that." She looked around. "Well?"  
  
George nodded. "I'm in!"  
  
The cousins watched Vanessa as she considered the options. A smile spread over her face as she said, "Let's do it!"  
  
"Let's do what?" Joe Hardy poked his head through the door, then entered and sat next to Vanessa on the bed. "Who's winning?" he asked.  
  
The girls all stared at him, confused. "The match?" Joe said, gesturing towards the TV.  
  
"Oh!" George said. "Um, I don't know. We weren't really paying attention."  
  
"It doesn't matter." Joe said. "Now, let's do what?" he asked, not giving up.  
  
Vanessa gave Bess and George a look that said, 'Can we tell him?'

Simultaneously, George nodded 'yes' and Bess shook her head 'no.'  
  
Now Joe was really curious. "What? What is it?" he asked.  
  
Bess sighed. She was really worried that Joe wouldn't like the idea of setting up his own brother, but she reluctantly nodded 'yes.'  
  
Vanessa started to explain. "We decided to set up Frank and Nancy-" but Joe cut her off.  
  
"That's it?" he snorted. "The big secret? You think I've never thought of that?"  
  
This certainly wasn't the reaction Bess had been expecting, but she was relieved that he wasn't angry. "Well, if you're so clever, why haven't you done anything about it?"  
  
Joe slid his arm around Vanessa's waist. "One, it isn't really my business; two, Callie and Ned; and three, if Frank found out, he'd kill me!" he paused for a moment and then mused, "'Course, then he would have to investigate the crime..."  
  
Bess grinned. "Funny, funny, funny, Joe. Well, would it clear your conscience a little if we set up Ned and Callie as well?"  
  
"Callie and Ned?" Joe looked surprised, then impressed. "Sure, why not?"  
  
George spoke quietly. "Okay, now we know what we are going to do, but how are we actually going to do it?"

* * *

A/N- Suggestions anyone? I kinda feel like I'm backing myself into a corner. It took a whole chapter just to decide to play matchmaker, now they actually have to set them up! But I kept this chapter because I like it, in spite of all the dialogue. If anyone has some ideas on how to set them up, please let me know! (Otherwise I may catch a bad case of writer's block!) Also, I thank Avelyn Lauren for the idea of having their friends set them up. 

To all the non-romance people: There is a mystery, it just hasn't occurred yet. Hold your horses.  
PLEASE REVIEW!


	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: Not mine.

A/N: Ha! I have proof that I haven't abandoned this story: this chapter! About the inexcusably long wait, yeah, sorry about that, but I had a major case of writer's block and I was just sitting in history the other day when it hit me how I could fix the story, so, without further ado, Chapter 3!

* * *

The next day, Bess and Vanessa joined Callie on the beach for a little sunbathing. Bess glanced over at Nancy, who was sitting on the blanket playing poker with George and the boys. She decided to put her plan into action. "Nancy will win." she said, referring to the card game. "I've never seen anyone beat her at poker." This was true; Bess had spent her entire life losing to Nancy at cards. 

"I'll bet Frank could beat her." Vanessa said, right on cue. "I've never seen him lose either."

"Yeah, they sure have a lot in common." Callie said dryly, glaring daggers at Nancy.

Bess and Vanessa pretended not to notice, and Bess remarked, "I know. I always wondered why they never got tog-" Her eyes widened, and she stopped. "I'm so sorry, Callie! I didn't mean that!"

Callie smiled weakly. "It's okay. Can I tell you two a secret?"

The two girls nodded and leaned in.

"I've wondered about that myself." Callie confided. "Sometimes…sometimes I'm just like, why me? Like, Frank and Nancy make more sense… But then I think about how he's Frank and I've known him forever and I love him." she finished in a rush. Then she frowned. "And then I'm angry at him for flirting with her and making me doubt our relationship."

Vanessa snorted. "Come on, Frank doesn't flirt half as much as Joe does!"

"But we all know Joe's not serious about those other girls." Callie explained. "Frank…well, he's different. He doesn't usually do that sort of thing-"

"Except with Nancy." Vanessa finished.

"Except with Nancy." Callie agreed, grimacing as she said the name. "Sorry." she said to Bess. "I know she's your friend and all, but…"

"I understand." Bess interrupted. "I actually think Ned feels the same way about Frank."

Callie laughed, but then turned serious. "Guys, about what you saw in my room yesterday? Me and Ned? That was nothing." she said uncomfortably.

Bess was almost blinded by the flash of inspiration she had then. Taking the plunge, she said, "We know. But what if no one else knew?"

"Knew what?" Callie asked.

"What we know!" Bess said. "In simpler terms, what if Nancy and Frank were jealous of you and Ned?"

Callie looked surprised, and Vanessa looked appreciative, like she wanted to applaud. "I see what you're saying!" said Vanessa. "If you and Ned started acting all 'friendly', Frank could get a taste of his own medicine!"

Callie laughed and shook her head. "That's terrible!" Then she stopped. "Do you think it would work?"

Vanessa and Bess exchanged triumphant glances: she was hooked! "It could work…" they said together.

Callie bit her lip. "Do you think Ned would go along with it?"

Bess smiled slyly, remembering finding Callie in Ned's arms last night. "I think he would if you asked him." she said.

* * *

Ned pondered Callie's proposition. "Do you think it would work?" he asked skeptically. 

Callie laughed. "That's what I said. What I thought, I mean." She remembered how Bess and Vanessa had told her to pretend it was her own idea. The fewer people who knew about it, the better, they'd said. "But what's the harm?" she asked optimistically.

Ned smiled at her warmly. "Why not?" he said, offering her his arm. "You ready to hit the beach?"

Callie looped her arm through his. "You bet!"

* * *

Joe leaned back in his chair as Callie and Ned made their way down the beach toward them. Apparently Bess's plan had worked, because the pair was deep in conversation. Ned was talking animatedly while Callie was laughing at whatever he was saying, her hand resting innocently on his arm. 

Joe raised his eyebrows and looked for reactions from his companions. Nancy and Vanessa were chatting earnestly while they listened to the radio, and Bess and George were arguing over Bess's so-called "obsession" with the lifeguard. None of the girls batted an eye at Callie and Ned; they didn't even seem to notice their presence.

Frank glanced up at his girlfriend momentarily, looked surprised for a moment, and then turned back to his book. Interesting, Joe thought. Well, Frank was always the even-tempered one. Joe took a double take at the book. Why was he reading about physics on vacation? Joe settled back and closed his eyes. Actually, that was Frank all over.

Joe furrowed his brow. He hoped Bess knew what she was doing; he would hate to see his brother get hurt.

* * *

"Come on, Vanessa! Let's see!" Nancy said encouragingly. She was sitting on the bed in the room she shared with Vanessa and Callie. 

Vanessa stepped out of the bathroom in a clingy, scarlet, above-the-knee dress that complimented her blond hair and slim figure perfectly. She grinned at Nancy and did a spin.

Nancy clapped. "It's gorgeous!" she assured her friend.

"Thanks!" Vanessa said. "Yours is, too." Nancy was wearing turquoise, and her skirt was a bit longer than Vanessa's.

Vanessa sighed. "I'm glad we get to go dancing before I have to go." Vanessa had promised to spend a few days with her aunt while she was in South Carolina. "I'm not really looking forward to it." she confessed. "She's my aunt and I love her and all, but her neighborhood scares me."

"Yeah?" Nancy asked. "What's wrong with it?"

"It's just super-creepy." Vanessa told her. "Everything is all dirty and run-down. It isn't the sort of place you'd walk alone at night, if you know what I mean."

"I know." Nancy said. Her work had taken her to a lot of those places. "Why doesn't she move?"

Vanessa bit her lip. "Well, she doesn't like to talk about it, but I suspect it's because her husband died there. She has emotional ties to it or something."

"Oh." Nancy said softly. "That's a shame."

"Yes." Vanessa agreed. "Especially since it means I have to sleep on the forty-year-old couch-bed!" she joked, attempting to lighten the mood.

A knock on the door made both girls jump. "You ready?" Joe's voice called from the other side of the door.

"Yes." They answered in unison, opening the door.

"Looking good, Van!" Joe said, giving her a kiss.

Nancy instinctively looked around for Ned and was surprised to see him walking ahead, next to Callie. What was that about? she wondered.

"You look nice, Nan." said a voice from behind her. Nancy turned to see Frank smiling at her. She smiled back, and neither her nor Frank noticed the secret smile Vanessa and Joe shared.

* * *

"Are you sure you have to leave now?" Joe complained as he walked Vanessa to her car. "It's only ten." 

"I stayed later than I should have." Vanessa told him. "Aunt Rachel only lives forty minutes from here, but I'd rather not be out there by myself too late. It's a bad place, Joe." she said, kissing him.

"Be careful." Joe said. Vanessa knew he was being entirely serious.

"I will." she assured him.

"I don't want to have to come rescue you." Joe teased, kissing her again.

Vanessa laughed and pushed him away. "See you in three days." she said, climbing into the navy blue Taurus she had driven down from New York. Her car was one of her weaknesses. She loved it, she was proud of it, and she wasn't ashamed to admit it. She grinned and waved to her boyfriend as he made a mournful face at her.

Joe waved back and watched her speed away, the navy fading to black in the darkness.

* * *

It was midnight when the group left the nightclub, but everyone was still too hyped up to sleep. They talked and laughed all the way back to the Casa Verde. Nancy, however couldn't concentrate on the conversation. She needed to be alone. 

As soon as she could, she slipped away from her friends and went down to the beach. Taking off her shoes, she carried them as she walked down to the ocean. Taking advantage of the calming atmosphere, she ruminated on the interesting events of that evening.

_Nancy was sitting at a table, chatting and eating with her friends. Eventually, some music started playing and Joe and Vanessa peeled away from the group to go dance. Bess had found a dance partner too, but that was to be expected, Nancy thought wryly. Suddenly, Callie stood up, grabbing Ned by the sleeve. _

"_Nancy, do you mind if I borrow Ned for a while?"_

_Nancy was surprised, but she said, "Sure, go ahead." She was looking at Ned, but he was looking at Callie. Nancy couldn't help feeling a little jilted as the pair left the table and started to dance. _

_Sneaking a glance at Frank, she noticed that he was watching them too. But not jealously. With…amusement?_

Nancy cocked her head as she thought. She had danced with Ned maybe once all night. Why was Callie monopolizing him? Were they planning something?

She shook her head. Maybe she was paranoid. Maybe she was overreacting.

Or, maybe not.

She sighed, scooping up a rock and tossing it into the waves. What really bothered her was that Ned and Callie's flirting didn't bother her as much as it should. Sure, she was upset by Ned's sudden desertion of her, and she was angry that Callie could take advantage of someone as great as Frank…

All of the sudden, she knew what they were up to. Then, suddenly, a rock sailed past her, splashing into the water. Nancy whirled around to see Frank. He gave her the slow sort of grin that always made her shiver.

"Hi." he said quietly.

Nancy raised an eyebrow. "Throwing rocks at me, Hardy?"

Frank chuckled softly as her came closer to her. "Nah. If I'd wanted to hit you I would've."

"Mmm-hm." Nancy teased, acting skeptical.

"Is something wrong, Nan?" Frank asked as he stopped in front of her.

"No." Nancy replied. "I just needed to think."

"Oh." Frank said. "Mind my company?"

"Never." Nancy told him. And she meant it. "Do you want to walk?"

Frank nodded and the pair began to wander along the shoreline. Casting surreptitious glances at him, Nancy wondered how she managed to get herself into these sorts of romantic, alone-with-Frank situations. Sure, nothing ever happened, but that didn't mean, Nancy thought guiltily, that she didn't want them to. Ned, she thought, but she couldn't seem to concentrate on him.

Finally, she knew she had to break the silence. "Did you notice-" She blinked at Frank for a moment before she realized he'd spoken at the same time.

"Sorry." Frank said. "You first."

Nancy cleared her throat uncomfortably. "Did you notice how weird Callie and Ned were acting earlier?"

Frank grinned down at her. "I was just going to ask you that." He leaned closer to her and her pulse quickened. "Have you figured out what they're doing?" he asked confidentially, as if someone were listening to them.

"They're trying to make us jealous." Nancy said slowly.

"That's what I think, too." Frank said, still grinning. Then, in all seriousness, he asked, "The question is, is it working?"

Nancy's eyes widened. Why was he asking her this? "I don't know." she confessed. "I guess I'm feeling a little jilted, but at the same time, I can't help thinking how they're acting so…"

"Juvenile?" Frank supplied.

"Exactly!" Nancy exclaimed. They both laughed, the tension broken. Nancy only now realized that they had stopped walking.

"We should go back." Frank whispered.

Nancy nodded, not trusting herself to speak. They walked back the way they had come in a comfortable silence. Nancy frowned. Were her eyes playing tricks on her? A figure seemed to materialize out of the darkness, shouting and waving its arms.

"Joe?" Frank said, running toward the figure.

Nancy followed him and realized that it was Joe, and he looked worried, almost frantic. "What's wrong?" she cried.

"It's Vanessa." Joe said desolately. "She's missing!"

* * *

A/N: There you go! Didn't I tell you there was a mystery? Anyway, please review! 


	4. Chapter Four

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

"Vanessa's missing?" Nancy repeated incredulously.

Joe nodded. "We have to go find her! Who knows where-"

"Slow down, Joe." Frank interrupted. "How do you know she's gone?"

Joe took a deep breath. "Her aunt just called on the phone to ask where she was. She left at ten, but she never got there. It's almost one; she should have been there hours ago!" Joe looked expectantly at Frank. "We have to do something."

"But what?" Frank said. "We don't even know she's missing. Maybe she just had car trouble or something."

"She would have called." Joe said flatly. "Frank, something's wrong. I know it."

Nancy and Frank exchanged a glance. They both knew that Joe's instincts were usually right. "We could drive up tomorrow and look for her." Frank suggested.

"How about we drive up now?" Joe said impatiently.

"Calm down." Nancy said rationally. "Joe, even if we drove up there tonight, what would we be able to do this late?"

"Please." Joe said quietly.

Nancy heard the pleading in her friend's voice. Uneasily, she remembered Vanessa's description of her aunt's neighborhood. Not a place you'd want to walk alone at night, she'd said. Nancy shuddered, hoping to God that her friend was safe.

"I'll go with you." Frank was saying. "Don't worry, little brother, we'll find her." He turned to Nancy. "You in?"

"Of course." Nancy said. "Come on!"

* * *

Back at La Casa Verde, Nancy grabbed some clothes, her sneakers, and her toothbrush and tossed them into her backpack.

"What are you doing?" Callie asked from behind her.

Nancy jumped, startled. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"I wasn't sneaking!" Callie retorted. "Where are you going?"

"The Hardys and I are going to drive up to Van's aunt's place." Nancy said, not bothering to elaborate.

"Why?"

"Vanessa should have been there by now, but she isn't, and we want to make sure she isn't sitting by the side of the road somewhere. Frank thinks she might have had car trouble." Nancy said carefully, not wanting to alarm the other girl.

Frank popped his head through the open door. "You ready, Nan? I think Joe's already in the car."

"Just the three of you are going?" Callie asked, looking upset.

"Yeah." Frank said, coming into the room and giving her a peck on the cheek. "We'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

"No! Not okay!" Callie said. "Why can't I come? Vanessa's my friend, too!"

Frank tried to be patient. "Look, Callie, can we not do this now?"

"Frank Hardy, I am sick of getting left behind while you and Joe go looking for trouble!"

Nancy, embarrassed to listen to Frank and Callie fight, picked up her bag. "I'll be in the car." She said, ducking out of the room.

"She's going!" Callie spat angrily, glaring pointedly at Frank.

Frank tried to soothe her. "Look, Cal, this might be nothing. Can we try to keep this quiet? I don't want to panic the others."

"Fine." Callie growled. "Weren't you going?" she said icily, signaling the end of the conversation.

Frank sighed, knowing he wasn't going to win this one. "Bye. Talk to you later."

Callie just slammed the door in response.

* * *

Nancy knocked on the door to Bess and George's room. "Bess? Something came up. Frank, Joe and I have to leave. I'll call you in the morning. Bess? George?"

George opened the door. "Gotcha, Nan. Go ahead. Is there anything we can do to help?"

"No." Nancy said. "Thanks, George. I'll fill you in later, but now I have to go." Then she remembered something. "Tell Ned I'll see him later. Bye!" With that, she turned and rushed out the door.

* * *

"This is where her aunt lives?" Nancy asked uneasily from the backseat of the Hardys' rental car.

"Yeah." Frank replied, checking the map. "She lives in one of those apartments." He gestured to the dilapidated high rise buildings lining the dark street.

Joe drove the car into the parking lot and pulled into a space. Nancy glanced at him worriedly. He had hardly said a word since they had left the beach, and Nancy knew he was worried about Vanessa. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll find her, Joe."

Joe smiled tightly at her and reached for the door handle. "Let's go."

Nancy made a face. "I don't really like the idea of going out there…" she said nervously.

Frank seemed to agree. "Looks like a good place to get mugged…"

"Thanks, Frank." Nancy said dryly. "I really needed to worry about that."

"Like you weren't already!" Frank said. He sighed and opened the door, and the other two followed suit.

Nancy heard shouts in the distance, followed by a series of loud cracks. "Someone please tell me that wasn't gunfire."

"No can do, Nancy." Joe joked feebly.

Frank reached over and took Nancy's hand. Nancy squeezed his hand tightly. He always knew how she was feeling. The threesome made their way along the deserted street and up to Vanessa's aunt's apartment.

Rachel Menezquez was a petite woman in her fifties. Opening the door, she said, "You must be Vanessa's friends. Come in, please."

Nancy, Frank, and Joe stepped into the small apartment and looked around. It was clean and done in browns and tans- much nicer on the inside than the outside.

"You didn't find her." Rachel said softly. Her face was pale and haggard. "Oh, I don't know what to do!"

"You didn't see her at all tonight?" Joe questioned desperately.

"No." she answered. "My niece never got here." Rachel was watching Joe. "You must be Joe Hardy." She didn't bother saying that she had heard all about him, although she had.

"I am." Joe said.

Frank cleared his throat. "I'm his brother, Frank, and this is our friend, Nancy Drew."

"Thank you for coming." Rachel said shakily. She sank down on the couch. "I never should have asked her to come here by herself. It's too dangerous here. This place… Oh, this is all my fault!"

Joe said nothing; he privately agreed.

Nancy's heart went out to the woman. "It isn't your fault. You couldn't have known." she smiled. "Besides, Vanessa might be fine. She hasn't been gone for very long. There are plenty of reasons she could be late." She ended up looking at Joe, trying to convince him as well.

"Right." Frank said. "Don't be too worried."

"Should I call the police?" The woman asked.

"It's too early." Frank told her. "She's only been gone five hours."

"Oh."

The room was full of tension. Nancy noted that Joe and Rachel were staring at each other. Almost glaring, she amended, watching Joe. She sighed inwardly. She had been right. There was nothing they could do tonight. "It's late." she said. "Maybe we should start the search in the morning."

Rachel and Joe just looked at her, apparently not caring much for that idea, but Frank backed her up. "Yeah, we need to find a hotel to check into. We didn't really plan this little venture that well."

Rachel pursed her lips. "I'd like to have you stay here, but I really haven't the room." She gestured to the small apartment. She was right; the apartment consisted of the room they were in, a bathroom, a kitchenette, and a small bedroom.

"Do you know of any hotels near here?" Nancy asked. "If we stay close, we can start looking forher first thing tomorrow."

"Oh, there's a motel just around the corner." Rachel said. "I know this isn't the best neighborhood, but it's really the only one around."

* * *

"You must be joking." Nancy said as she looked up at the three story motel that Rachel had recommended. They had left her room and walked around the corner to see a dirty, decrepit building with a flickering "Motel" sign. "There is a law that says these things have to be safe, right?"

"I thought there was." Frank said. "But I'm really not that sure anymore."

"So this is what a no-star hotel looks like." Joe cracked.

"Are we going in there?" Nancy asked Joe.

"Yes." Joe said. He was already taking long strides toward the rundown motel. Nancy and Frank followed hesitantly.

Unlike Rachel's apartment, the inside of the hotel was just as bad as the outside. The lighting was poor and the carpet was practically worn away to nothing. Joe went up to the front desk and rang the bell.

"Can I help you?" A stout woman peered through a doorway behind the desk.

"We need two rooms." Joe said.

"Oh." The woman said, coming into the front room.

Joe blinked as the woman tucked something behind the desk. He thought he saw a flash of metal. "Is that a gun?" he blurted.

The woman looked startled. "Yes." she admitted. "You can't be too careful around here." Then she put on a pleasant smile. "Did you say you needed a room?"

"Two, actually." Nancy piped up doubtfully. She was more than a little uneasy about the armed woman.

"Sorry hon," the woman said. "We only have one available room."

Nancy, Frank, and Joe exchanged glances. How was it possible that all three floors were filled?

The woman noticed their surprised looks and said, "We had to close the rooms on the third floor because of a mold infestation."

Joe grimaced, but said, "We'll take it."

Frank had to smile. It was obvious who was leading this mission.

* * *

A/N: Sorry, no cliffie this time. Thanks to all my reviewers, and please keep reviewing! I'll try toget up the next chaptersoon, but I will be updating sporadically due to trying to finish several stories at the same time. I haven't abandoned TCC either,for anyone who might be wondering. I'll getit all done eventually.Don't forget to review! 


	5. Chapter Five

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

Joe opened the door to their hotel room and the teens tentatively stepped inside. The room was cold and damp, and the lamp that hung overhead buzzed and flickered. He was relieved to see that there were two single beds and a couch- no one would have to sleep in the bathtub.

"Who wants the couch?" he asked.

"I'll take it." Nancy and Frank said simultaneously.

"No, really, I don't mind." Frank said.

"You sure?" Nancy said, tossing her backpack in the corner.

"Mmm-hm." Frank sat down on the couch.

"Okay, Hardy, but I offered!" Nancy said. Just realizing how tired she was, she kicked off her shoes and pulled back the covers on the nearest bed.

"Make sure to check for bedbugs!" Frank said, only half joking.

"Gross!" Nancy exclaimed, but she did inspect the sheets before sliding between them, not bothering to change into pajamas.

Joe was lying on his back on the other bed, hands folded behind his head. Somehow, he doubted he'd be getting much sleep tonight.

* * *

"All I'm saying is, you shouldn't have taken her."

"We weren't going to, but she found out too much. What were we supposed to do?"

"She didn't know as much then as she does now! Besides, kidnapping was never my area. I'm a thief, plain and simple." said the girl with the reddish-blond hair.

"It isn't our field of expertise, either!" the auburn-haired girl said defensively.

"Well, if you had just found the right car!"

"If you had been on time!"

"Ahem." the older gentleman interrupted. "The girl is awake."

"Thanks, Dad." said the auburn-haired girl in her proper British accent.

The two girls made their way over to the stirring figure lying on the couch. The British girl frowned as she made her way through the damp motel room. She was used to much better lodgings than this. Sitting on the single bed across from the couch, she studied their ash-blonde captive.

"Why did you tie her up?" she asked.

"Better safe than sorry." grinned the strawberry-blonde.

The girl on the couch opened her eyes and groaned. "What happened?" She bolted upright. "Who are you?"

One of her captors shook back her red-blond hair and proudly said, "The name's Ch-"

The other girl silenced her. "Don't you think we should find out her name first?"

The captive tilted her chin up defiantly and said nothing.

"Don't be ridiculous. We aren't going to hurt you." said the Brit.

"Then why am I tied up? And that knock on the head wasn't exactly painless!" retorted the captive, her gray eyes stormy.

The strawberry-blonde knelt next to the prisoner. "What's your name?" she asked, suddenly no-nonsense.

"Vanessa Bender." the girl muttered.

"Lovely." said the auburn-haired girl. "Are you hungry?"

"No." Vanessa said through gritted teeth. She was confused. What did these people want with her? "What are you going to do with me?" she asked bravely.

The girls looked at each other but said nothing.

"Don't worry." said the old man to Vanessa. "Just get some sleep."

Vanessa was indignant. "My boyfriend knows where I am! He'll come to rescue me!"

The elderly man chuckled. "Rescue you?" Then he became stern. "If you can't be quiet, we'll have to tape your mouth shut."

The strawberry-blonde bent down again. "And just who is this boyfriend of yours?" she asked, a hint of mocking in her voice.

Vanessa stuck her chin out. "Joe Hardy."

"Joe Hardy?" the girls gasped together.

* * *

A/N: Ok, I know it's short, but I reached a good stopping place. Props to anyone who can figure out who the kidnappers are! Please review! 


	6. Chapter Six

Disclaimer: Not mine.

A/N: And the winners are… Tesub Calle and Katie Janeway for figuring out who the kidnappers are! Your prize… would be this chapter. I was saving it until someone guessed it. Don't worry; I would have posted it eventually. (Honorable mentions go to nanfran and Marie for getting the Foxes.) Also, Slshadowfox made an amusing comment about a "roach motel", so I couldn't resist using it… Thanks to everyone who reviewed.Anyway, please read and review!

* * *

"It's morning." Joe announced.

Nancy stirred. There was no clock in the room. "What time is it?"

"Six o'clock."

"There was a time when you considered six am the middle of the night, Joe." Frank groaned.

Nancy sat up and suddenly sat very still. She knew she'd heard a noise on the floor. She cringed. Cockroaches. "Frank? Joe? Would one of you be a dear and turn on the light?" she asked sweetly.

"Yeah, Frank, be a dear." Joe yawned.

"You two are so funny." Frank grumbled. He fumbled around for the light switch in the dark, and seconds later the teens heard scurrying as the insects scrambled out of sight.

Nancy got out of bed, stepping gingerly. "Okay, guys, what's our attack plan?"

"We don't have one." Frank admitted, glancing around the room. "How about we get out of here and figure something out over breakfast?"

"Sounds good." Nancy said. "Just give me a minute to get ready." She grabbed her bag and went into the bathroom.

Frank looked after her and ran a hand through his hair. "I told Callie I'd call her."

Joe gave him a look. "Yeah, she'll really love it when you call her at the crack of dawn."

"We had a fight last night." It looked like it was really bugging him.

Joe raised his eyebrows. "About what?"

"The usual."

"Right..." Joe said. He paused, then said, "She'll forgive you. She always does."

Frank sighed. "I know, but I'm sick of having the same argument over and over!" He stopped and looked at Joe, feeling horrible. How could he think about his girlfriend when Joe's was missing? "Forget I said anything."

Joe knew what his brother was thinking. "It's okay, Frank." He stared out the window for a moment. "Come on; let's get out of this dump!"

"Gladly." Nancy said, emerging from the bathroom.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, the teens were dressed and sitting in a local bagel shop. It wasn't exactly five-star, but at least it seemed sanitary.

Joe took a sip of his coffee and stared at it with newfound respect. "That is the strongest coffee I have ever tasted."

Nancy laughed. "I know. It's good, isn't it?"

"We'll need it to operate on four hours of sleep!" Frank reminded them, sitting down next to Nancy with a newspaper he'd just bought from the machine. He opened the paper and skimmed through it. It was a habit, really. He liked to know what was going on.

"What should we do first?" Nancy asked Joe.

"I was thinking we could check in with the police station to see if any…accidents were reported."

"Good idea." Nancy said.

Frank nodded. He could see how hard this was for his brother.

"Then we should probably check in with Rachel. Maybe she's heard something."

"Sounds like a plan." Frank said, folding up the newspaper.

"As much of a plan as we're gonna get with nothing to go on." Joe muttered gloomily.

Nancy frowned. She had just been thinking that herself.

* * *

Frank shook his head as he came out of the police station. The station was all the way on the other side of town- the good side of town. It was ironic how you had to come here to find a cop, right where you'd least need them.

"No reports of any accidents involving a navy Taurus." he told Joe and Nancy, who had waited in the car.

"I'm not sure whether that's a good thing or a bad thing." Joe said.

"Me neither." Frank agreed.

"Did they tell you anything else?" Nancy asked. "Like what we should do?"

"When I explained our situation, the officer-on-duty suggested we go back and make sure Rachel hasn't heard from her. He said to come back if she's still missing tomorrow." What Frank didn't tell them was that the officer hadn't seemed too hopeful about finding a girl who'd been kidnapped in the middle of the night on the wrong side of town.

"Let's go." Nancy said suddenly, and Frank realized that they'd all been thinking along the same lines as he had.

* * *

Rachel had not heard anything from Vanessa either. The group was in poor spirits by the time they left her apartment with the promise to let her know the second they learned anything.

Walking back to the car, Nancy looked around; taking note of the shady characters that patrolled the neighborhood during the day. A tall man brushed past her on the sidewalk, mumbling to himself. One woman ambled along the street wheeling a shopping cart filled with what was most likely all of her worldly possessions. Yet another man lurked on the other side of the street, his hat covering his eyes. He lifted his head, and Nancy shivered at the glance he gave her. She hurried to catch up with the Hardys.

All of the sudden, Frank stopped short. "Joe," he said, "Isn't that...?"

Joe followed Frank's gaze. "That's Van's car!" he cried.

The two boys ran toward the blue car parked in the corner of the lot. Nancy glanced around nervously before following. Catching up with them, she asked, "Are you sure it's her car?"

"Positive." Joe said.

"And she's not in it." Nancy said worriedly. "Is it unlocked?"

"It is." Frank said, observing the raised pop-locks. "I'm surprised it didn't get stolen."

"Was it here last night and we just didn't notice it?" Joe asked.

"I don't know." Frank said, looking frustrated. "I don't remember."

"No trace of her?" Nancy said slowly. "No-"

"Blood?" Joe said angrily. "No, not that I can see!"

"Chill out, Joe." Frank said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Nan just wants to make sure we don't miss anything."

"What now?" Nancy breathed.

Joe gave her an upset look. "We have to call the police!" he cried.

Nancy bit her lip as the people on the street simultaneously turned to give them dirty looks. "Maybe you shouldn't have said that so loud." Frank murmured nervously.

* * *

Joe, Frank, Nancy, and Rachel grouped in Rachel's apartment to listen to the police report.

"We found no traces of blood, and there were no fingerprints on the wheel or handle except those of the victim."

Joe cringed at hearing Vanessa referred to as "the victim."

"We found nothing to indicate a struggle of any sort except a wooden walking stick lying under the car, but it was not bloodied and there were no fingerprints on it, so there's no proof it was even linked to the young lady's disappearance."

"Great." Joe said. "So what you're saying is that we have no clues as to Vanessa's disappearance."

"Sorry, son." said the burly police officer. "We're doing our best."

"Thank you." Frank said, shaking the officer's hand.

The officer smiled sadly at him. "We'll let you know if we find anything else, and we'll expect you to do the same."

"Of course." Nancy said, opening the door for him. "Thank you."

* * *

Joe turned away from the window in the hotel room. "This place is depressing." He took a double take at the wall above the bed. "Is that a bullet hole?"

"Mmm." Nancy said noncommittally. She was perched on her bed, trying to keep her feet off the floor. "Anything interesting?" she asked Frank, who was once again perusing the newspaper.

"Not really." Frank said. "A convenience store robbery, some scientific study on brain cancer... Oh, and a Velazquez exhibit is coming to the local museum."

"Fun." Nancy said dully. "Velazquez… He was that Hispanic painter, right?"

"One of them." Frank replied.

Joe couldn't take it anymore. "How can we have hit a dead end?" he burst out.

"I don't know." Nancy said softly. Joe was right; they had run out of clues.

Joe banged his fist against the wall. "Of course. When the case is really important, it turns out to be the one case we can't solve!"

"It's not over yet, Joe." Frank reminded him. More to Nancy, he said, "Maybe we'll think of something once we eat. Joe and I can run down to that pizza place on the corner and pick up lunch." Anything to get Joe's mind off of Vanessa.

"Sounds good." Nancy said, brightly, for Joe's benefit. "I have to call Ned anyway."

Frank nodded. "Let's go, Joe."

Nancy glanced out the window and then back to the Hardys. "Guys…be careful."

"We're always careful." Joe said.

"You mean, _I'm_ always careful." Frank teased.

"Yeah, _Frank's_ always careful." Joe amended, closing the door.

Nancy laughed and turned to the phone. She was dreading the call where she had to explain to Ned why she and the Hardys took off in the middle of the might last night. He would so not be happy to know that they were in mid-mystery. Well, she decided, he would just have to live with it, for Vanessa's sake.

She dialed the number of Ned's room back at Casa Verde.

"Hello?"

"Ned, it's Nancy." she bit her lip in preparation for the outburst she knew was coming.

"Nancy! Where are you? What happened?"

"Ned, Vanessa went missing last night and the Hardys and I came up to her Aunt Rachel's to look for her."

"Any luck?"

Nancy was relieved. Ned knew how important this was, and he wasn't going to make a big deal out of it. "Not really. We found her car, but no sign of her. Joe's frantic."

"Do you need me to come up there?"

Nancy smiled. Hewantedto come up and help her! She heard the sound of a door opening on Ned's end of the line.

"Okay, the rest of the gang's here. Let me rephrase that: Do you need us?" She heard Ned tell the others, "It's Nancy."

There was chatter in the background. Nancy distinctly heard Callie say, "Where are they?"

"Actually," Nancy said, "We aren't staying with Vanessa's aunt; we're rooming in this really gross hotel down the street." She heard Ned relay the message to Callie.

"Should we pack?" Ned asked her.

Nancy frowned, knowing that neither Ned nor Callie was going to like what she said next. "You're going to think this is nuts, but there are no open hotel rooms here. We got the last one." She cringed, realizing that she could have phrased that better.

"You're sharing a room?" Ned repeated.

"Yes." Nancy said gingerly. "There really aren't any other hotels around here-"

Callie's voice broke into her explanation. "You guys are all sleeping in the same room?" Callie had taken the phone from Ned sometime during her statement.

Nancy was growing impatient. "Grow up!" she snapped. "It's not like we're sharing a bed! We didn't have much of a choice!"

"But-"

"Vanessa is missing and all you guys can think about is our sleeping arrangements?" Nancy fumed. "Honestly, what is wrong with the two of you!"

Ned had taken the phone back. "Nan, it's nothing. You're right. Sorry." he tried to placate her.

Callie jumped back into the conversation. "It's not like we don't have a reason to be upset!"

"Callie-" Ned started.

"Right?" Callie persisted, asking Ned.

"Well…" Ned said, not wanting to anger either girl.

Nancy cut him off there. "I refuse to listen to this! I'll call you later." She groaned, slamming the phone back into its cradle. "That went well."

Seconds later, she jumped as a knock sounded at the door. Could Frank and Joe be back already? "Who's there?" she called out.

A woman's voice answered her softly. "I'm a friend."

Nancy froze. She wished there was a peephole to look out or at least a chain on the door, but there was nothing. "What's your name?"

"I'm afraid I can't say. You're going to have to trust me."

Nancy was torn. She was alone in a forbidding neighborhood and a stranger who claimed to be a friend was at the door. On the other hand, this person might be connected to Vanessa's disappearance, in which case she would need the stranger's information.

"It's about Vanessa." the woman said.

Nancy slowly opened the door to see a woman who bore a striking resemblance to herself. She was about Nancy's height and build and had the same shade of red-blonde hair that was only a bit longer than her own. Nancy had never seen her before in her life. "What about Vanessa?" she pressed, once the initial surprise had worn off.

"She's in trouble." the stranger said.

"Yes?" Nancy said, wanting more details. "Where is she? Is she hurt?"

The woman pressed her lips together. "You're a friend of Joe's." she said instead.

"Yes." Nancy said. Where was this going?

"Is he still as cute as ever?"

Nancy was stunned. "…I guess…. I don't know!" she said. "What about Vanessa?"

"Tell Frank and Joe that the three of you need to come to room 318 at eight o'clock tonight."

"Why?" Nancy asked suspiciously.

"My…associates and I need to talk to you." The woman said. She smiled sweetly at Nancy. "Goodbye."

"Wait!" Nancy said, reaching for the woman, who twisted out of her grasp easily. "Who should I tell them you are?"

The woman smiled secretively. "Just tell Joe that Vanessa needs his help." All of this time she had been inching backward, and she suddenly broke into a sprint, disappearing around the corner.

Nancy ran after her, but when she turned the corner, the stranger was gone.

* * *

A/N: I love Charity! By the way, she's from the Hardy Boys Casefiles, numbers six and twenty-nine, in case you were curious. Please review and I'll update as soon as I can! 


	7. Chapter Seven

Disclaimer: Nan and the Hardys don't belong to me. Neither do Charity or the Foxes. As a matter of fact, it's safer to say I don't own anything.

* * *

Nancy looked around quickly. Where had the woman disappeared to? She reached for the nearest door, a janitor's closet, and twisted the knob. It was locked, and she suspected the other doors would be too. The only other exit looked to be the stairs at the end of the hall. She dashed up the stairs, hoping she was headed to room 318, on the third floor. She slowed down as she neared the top of the steps. A strip of caution tape had been stretched across the doorway, but now it was hanging to the floor. Nancy suspected that the stranger had broken it; she was on the right track.

Reaching the landing of the third floor, she glanced around for the mystery woman. The hallway was a mess. White plastic tarps were everywhere, and several uniformed men were standing on ladders and spraying chemicals from aerosol cans. One man looked startled and stepped up to her. "Excuse me, miss. This floor is closed."

Right. Nancy thought. The mold infestation. "Sorry, but I was looking for my sister." she lied quickly. "She looks just like me. Didn't I just see her come in here?"

The man gave her a look. "Sorry, lady. No one but my guys has been up here all day. I'm gonna have to ask you to leave. These chemicals can be dangerous." he said adamantly.

"Are you sure?" Nancy persisted. Could he be covering up for the stranger?

"Yes." The man said firmly. "Positive."

"Oh," Nancy said. "That's weird. She told me to meet her in room 318." She knew that it was dangerous to go after the woman without backup, but if she waited for the Hardys, the trail would go cold.

The man pointed to the door. "Look, lady. Your sister's not here. All of these rooms are closed. Please leave!"

Nancy's heart sank. She would never find the mystery woman now. "Okay. Thanks anyway." she said, heading back down the stairs. Turning the corner toward her room, she saw Frank and Joe standing in the hallway, looking worried. "Guys, over here!" she called.

Frank turned towards her, relief evident on his face. "Nancy! Thank God!"

"Geez, you scared us." Joe added. "I was afraid we had another missing person on our hands."

Finally reaching them, she gave Frank's arm a squeeze. "Sorry for worrying you, but we may have a break in the case!" Inside, she filled the Hardys in on the mysterious visitor, her invitation to a meeting, and her abrupt disappearance. "She looked a lot like me." she said. "And I got the feeling she knew you guys. Joe especially."

"Why me?" Joe asked, puzzled as to the woman's identity.

"Well," Nancy said. "She asked me if I was a friend of yours and when I said yes, she asked me if you were still as cute as ever."

Joe frowned. "This is really weird." Then he grinned. "What'd you say?"

Nancy gave him a friendly shove. "It doesn't matter what I said." she answered. Then to Frank, she said, "What are you thinking?"

"You mean you can't tell?" Joe cracked. Nancy rolled her eyes.

Frank was deep in concentration, furrowing his brow and resting his chin on his hand. "It seems like I should know this woman…" he muttered. He looked up at Nancy. "This is going to sound really weird, but I think I've heard that line before."

"What line?" Nancy and Joe chorused.

Frank closed his eyes and said, "Is your brother still as cute as ever?"

Joe laughed. "This is crazy! Who said it?"

Frank gritted his teeth. "I don't know! I feel like I should, like it's on the tip of my tongue, but I don't." He looked at Joe. "Help me out. Who's mysterious, looks like Nancy, and thinks you're cute?"

The brothers stared at each other for a minute and then both said a single word. "Charity."

* * *

Ned turned up the heat on the gas grill as he stood on the balcony overlooking the beach. He heard someone talking below him and looked down to see Bess talking animatedly to Callie, who seemed relatively unresponsive. "Girls, up here." he called.

Bess and Callie smiled up at him and came up the stairs. "Dinner ready?" Bess asked cheerfully.

"Soon." Ned replied.

"I'm not eating with you." she announced. "I've got a date."

"Where's George?" Ned asked.

"Oh, she found a guy who agreed to give her windsurfing lessons, so she won't be back for a while." Bess smiled. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go get ready."

Callie sat down on a nearby bench. "Have fun." she said dully. Taking no notice of her unhappy tone, Bess skipped into her room, humming to herself.

Ned frowned, turning his back on the grill to look at Callie. "What's wrong?" he asked gently.

Callie smirked. "Oh, it's nothing." Seeing the skeptical look on his face, she confessed. "Frank said he was going to call me today, but he never did."

Ned shrugged. "Maybe they got a lead and he just forgot. Maybe you missed the call."

"Maybe." Callie said, not looking too cheered up. "We fought. I think he might be mad at me." she laughed bitterly. "But you didn't really need to know that."

Ned sat down next to her. "It wasn't because of us trying to make him jealous, was it?" he sounded concerned. "Because that really isn't what was supposed to happen."

"No," Callie assured him. "That wasn't it. Quite the opposite, really."

"Oh." Ned said, momentarily lost for words. "I'm sure he's not mad at you. You know how they get when they're on a case…"

"You may be right." Callie said, unconvinced. She sniffed the air. "Is something burn-"

The pair looked up at the charred hamburgers on the grill. Ned leaped up and turned it off, cringing as he realized that the burgers were beyond salvageable. "Sorry about that." he apologized sheepishly.

"Mmm." Callie said. "It doesn't really matter."

Ned frowned. He hadn't cheered her up much. "Hey," he said. "What if we just go out tonight?"

Callie looked up at him. "Really? Just us two?"

"Why not?" Ned said. "We're the only two here."

"Yeah, I guess we are." Callie replied. "Weird, I could have sworn we came with a party of eight."

"Tell me about it." Ned said. "So, what do you think?"

Callie thought about declining his invitation, and then realized she had no reason not to. After all, it wasn't like Frank would be here to take her out. No, he and Nancy were out on a case. And she and Ned would just be eating dinner, not sharing a hotel room… "Dinner sounds great."

"Great." Ned smiled. "It's a date."

* * *

"Charity? Is that her name?" Nancy inquired, looking back and forth between Frank and Joe.

"It does sound like her." Joe admitted. He gritted his teeth. "If it _is_ her, we'd better get her this time."

"Is she a kidnapper?" Nancy asked.

"Actually," Frank said. "She's a thief."

"A real slippery one, too." Joe added.

"We first met her on a case in San Francisco, and then in San Diego." Frank explained further. "She got away both times."

"Well," Joe said, "Third time's the charm."

"Hopefully." Frank agreed.

Nancy frowned. "This is getting stranger and stranger. What would a thief be doing with Vanessa?"

Frank shrugged. "Maybe she doesn't have Vanessa. Did she ever say she did?"

Nancy thought hard. "No," she said slowly. "She just said that she had some information about Vanessa and that Vanessa needed help."

Joe punched his fist into his open palm. "Of course she has Vanessa. Why else would she come to us? Sneaky little-"

"That's another thing." Nancy interrupted. "This "meeting" is sounding more and more like a trap."

"I was thinking the same thing." Frank admitted. "And we're just going to have to find a way to spring it."

* * *

A/N: Is the meeting a trap? What will happen on Ned and Callie's "date"? Can you stand the suspense? Please review, and all questions will be answered! I'll try to update ASAP! 


	8. Chapter Eight

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

"Please," Nancy said. "Are you sure there's no one in room 318?"

"I told you," said the young woman at the desk. "That there isn't." She leaned in confidentially, smacking her bubble gum. "No one's supposed to know this, but we have kind of a mold problem on the third floor. Nobody's up there." She stood up straight, batting her fake eyelashes. "Could you please leave? We're really busy."

Nancy looked around. The lobby of the hotel was completely empty except for her, she receptionist, and the Hardys. "Oh, right. I'll let you get back to work." she said icily, walking over to join the Hardys. "I knew we should have gotten Joe to ask." she muttered to Frank.

Frank smiled. "No luck?"

Nancy just glowered at him.

Frank put an arm around her shoulders. "Well, in that case, we go with plan B."

"Geez, Frank, you need to find some new names for your plans." Joe jumped in.

Frank rolled his eyes. "Would it make you feel better if I called it the sneak-up-to-the-third-floor-and-check-out-room-318 plan?"

"Much." Joe looked satisfied.

"One problem." Nancy said. "How are we going to get past the mold exterminators…or whatever they're called?"

Frank smiled. "The art of the diversion."

* * *

Frank and Joe crouched in the stairway leading to the third floor, waiting. Right on cue, they heard Nancy scream. They knew she was lying at the bottom of the set of steps on the other side of the hallway, but they didn't go to her. She was their diversion.

Joe peered around the corner, relieved to see the five workmen heading for the end of the corridor. Quickly, he and Frank crept into the third-floor hallway, knowing they had three or four minutes, tops. Frank was the first to locate room 318, and he immediately set to work on the door with his lockpick. Joe waited impatiently until the lock clicked open fifteen seconds later, each second feeling like a minute.

Frank and Joe glanced at each other, nodded, and thrust open the door. Then they gaped in surprise. Room 318 was empty.

* * *

"I don't understand it." Joe said, shaking his head. "There was nothing. Except the furniture and stuff. Standard hotel furnishings. Nobody and nothing to indicate that Charity's up there."

Nancy, Frank, and Joe had regrouped and were sitting in their dilapidated hotel room.

Frank was pacing. "Now that I think about it, it would be stupid for her to tell us where she's going to be this far ahead of time…And if there's anything we know about Charity, it's that she's not stupid." He pursed his lips in frustration. "That whole thing was a waste of time." Then he glanced up at Nancy. "Nice diversion, by the way."

Nancy smiled. "It wasn't hard to convince them that I'd been pushed down the stairs by some hood. Despite the fact that there was nobody in the hall…" She looked up at the Hardys. "Isn't weird how this whole hotel is supposed to be full-"

"But there's never anybody around?" Frank finished for her. "I wondered about that too. Really suspicious. But then, everything about this place is creepy."

"I'll say." Joe replied, sinking down onto the bed. "What do we do now?" he asked.

Frank and Nancy answered in unison. "Now... we wait."

* * *

Callie laughed as she and Ned ascended the stairs to their hotel room. "That was the most fun I've had on this whole vacation." she confessed truthfully.

"I know. Me too." Ned said, shoving his hands in his pockets as he looked over the balcony at the ocean.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Callie asked wistfully, joining him at the railing.

"Yeah." Ned said, a little uncomfortably. There were a few moments of silence when neither Ned nor Callie was able to meet the other's eyes, but neither were they able to walk away.

Callie cleared her throat, embarrassed. "Well…"

Ned turned. "Callie? I was sort of wondering…" he trailed off, looking back at the ocean.

Callie looked concerned. She reached out and touched his arm and his gaze snapped to hers, the intensity of it startling her. "What?" she whispered weakly, not removing her hand from his arm.

"…About you…and me…" Before Callie could say a word, Ned leaned down and covered her lips with his own.

* * *

A/N: Yeah, another short one, but I totally just updated, like, yesterday. And I'm betting a lot of you saw the Ned/Callie kiss coming. Please review and tell me what you think! 


	9. Chapter Nine

Disclaimer: Not mine.

A/N: Just a note to nancy drew: Trust me, it has nothing to do with your age. (It has everything to do with the fact that I'm a Nancy/Frank shipper.) Sorry I may not be using your pairing, but I hope you'll continue to read and review anyway!

* * *

At eight o'clock, Nancy, Joe, and Frank walked up to the third floor. Just walked right up.

"Where are all the workmen?" Nancy asked. The tarps were still there, but the ladders and men were gone.

"Maybe they've gone home for the day." Joe suggested.

"Maybe." Frank said skeptically.

The trio reached room 318 and hesitated at the door. Joe finally took the initiative and reached for the handle. It turned easily.

"It must be a trap." Frank whispered urgently.

Nancy bit her lip. "I know. But I don't think Joe cares." she whispered back.

The door swung open into room 318, which was just as empty as it had been earlier. Joe shot a confused glance at Frank and Nancy, then steeled himself and carefully stepped into the room.

Frank turned to Nancy. "One of us should stay out here."

Nancy nodded and was just about to volunteer when a voice from behind her spoke up. "Why?"

Frank and Nancy jumped, startled, to face Charity, who had somehow worked her way into their little huddle. Charity wore a bright smile, but her eyes gleamed with malice. She held out a hand to Frank. "Frank Hardy! It's been a while." Frank refused to shake it, so Charity turned to Nancy. "He's a bit of a bad sport. And you are?" Nancy was silent, her gaze flickering between Frank and Charity. Charity sighed. "Ah, well, I feared you guys would try something, so I was forced to bring up the rear. Go on inside."

Frank crossed his arms. "And what if we don't?"

Charity shrugged. "Then poor Joe may never see his girlfriend again."

Nancy and Frank, defeated, stepped into the room with Charity right behind them. They frowned as they heard the door lock. Nancy grabbed the door handle and twisted. It wouldn't budge. "She's messed with the locks." she said to Frank.

Charity smiled breezily. "I can't take all the credit." she said. "Now where's Joe?" Joe was no longer in the main room.

"He's right here." Nancy and Frank recognized the British accent of Fiona Fox as she came out of the bathroom, leading Joe at gunpoint. Fiona was a slender young red-haired cat burglar who had escaped from Nancy, Frank, and Joe on several occasions.

Joe's eyes blazed as he saw Charity. "What did you do with Vanessa?" he growled.

"Ah ah ah." Fiona tsked, waving the revolver at Joe. "Be nice."

Frank stepped forward angrily. "What is going on here?" he asked, looking from Fiona to Charity.

"Oh, now he wants to talk." Charity said mockingly.

"Have a seat." Fiona said politely, lowering the gun. Frank and Nancy reluctantly took a seat on one of the single beds, but Joe remained standing. "Joe," she warned in her melodious voice. "I said sit down."

"I'll stand, thanks." Joe replied coldly. "Now, can we get down to business?"

"I suppose we should." Fiona replied. With one hand, she pushed her long red hair out of her face. "If you're ready to talk nicely."

Frank raised an eyebrow. "So says the girl with the gun."

Fiona repressed a smile. She spun the revolver around her finger, cocked the hammer, and snapped off a shot at Frank!

* * *

Ned knew he shouldn't have done it. He should not have kissed Callie Shaw. Lying in bed after the fact, he realized that it was a bad idea. This whole scheme to make Nancy jealous was a bad idea. Because he found that the more he spent time with Callie, the more he liked it.

Yeah, it was a bad idea, but that didn't stop him from wanting to do it again.

But how could he? If he couldn't keep his hands (and lips) off of Frank's girlfriend, he was no better than Nancy and Frank. Granted, he had never actually seen them kissing, but deep down inside, he suspected it was happening… Maybe that was why he overreacted about the "sharing a room" thing. He should trust Nancy. What was a relationship without trust?

Closing his eyes, Ned shook his head. Whatever was happening between him and Callie, it had to stop. Nancy trusted him. Not to mention that Callie's boyfriend was very, very good at martial arts...

* * *

All in the space of three or four seconds, the gun gave a loud click as it went off. Nancy and Joe stared at Fiona in blank horror. Frank had his eyes closed tightly, waiting for the impact of the bullet. There was no way she could miss at this range… The impact didn't come. Frank opened one eye to look at Fiona, who was smiling mischievously. Frank looked down to see the bullet casings on the floor and it hit him. "Blanks."

Fiona grinned at him. "That's right. So you see, you three actually have the upper hand here." She dropped the gun to the floor.

Charity snorted. "Yeah, if the other two weren't still in shock." Joe turned on his heel to advance on Charity, who involuntarily backed up when she saw the murderous expression on his face.

"Not now, Joe." Frank said quietly. He felt a hand slip into his. Startled, he looked back at Nancy. Her face was pale and Frank gave her hand a squeeze. "It's okay." he murmured reassuringly. "They're done playing now." Nancy nodded, still unable to speak.

Charity sat on the bed opposite Frank and Nancy. "Really, Frank," she said. "Why did you never mention that your girlfriend looks just like me?"

Nancy found her voice and tilted her chin up defiantly. "Because she doesn't. She's a bit shorter and her hair is more blonde."

"That's right." Fiona said. "Nancy isn't Frank's girlfriend."

"Well, why not?" Charity asked, looking pointedly at their entwined fingers.

"Can we talk about Vanessa now?" Joe said loudly. Frank and Nancy shot him grateful glances.

"Why, certainly." Fiona said charmingly.

Joe had a sudden thought. "Where's your father?" he asked Fiona. Dr. Fox was not only Fiona's father, but her partner-in-crime. He had given Joe a nasty bump on the head one time, and Joe still held a grudge. "Is he waiting to ambush us somewhere?" he asked suspiciously.

Her reaction to his words was the last thing he expected: Fiona burst into tears. Sobbing, she turned to Joe and buried her face in his chest. He stared at her in confusion and horror for a minute before reluctantly putting his arms around her and rubbing her back. "What happened, Fiona? Don't cry. Tell me what's wrong."

Charity spoke up matter-of-factly. "Actually, that's one of the things we wanted to discuss with you. Dr. Fox has been kidnapped."

Fiona's sobbing grew louder.

"…By the same person who kidnapped Vanessa Bender." Charity finished, looking to Joe to gauge his reaction.

"What?" Joe burst out. "Who has her?" Looking at Fiona, he amended, "Them."

Frank turned his gaze to Charity. "I think you had better explain." he said tightly.

"From the beginning." Nancy added.

"Ah, yes." Charity started. "Well, the Foxes and I got here about a week ago. We had both been contacted by the same person: A criminal known only as "the Mirage"."

"'The Mirage'?" Nancy repeated incredulously.

"He or she is called that because he or she is untouchable." Charity explained. "He or she has never been caught or even seen."

"For conversational purposes, let's just assume it's a "he"." Nancy said dryly. "Now go on."

"Okay." Charity agreed, smiling pleasantly. "The Mirage had contacted us to help _him_ pull off a theft."

"Let me guess." Frank said. "The theft of the Velazquez exhibit from the local museum."

"Of course." Charity said, delighted. "Nothing gets past you, does it?"

"Get to the part about Vanessa." Joe ordered harshly.

"Very well." Charity continued. "The Mirage agreed to give the Foxes and me the manpower to pull off a grand-scale theft. After all, some of those paintings are quite large. After some careful discussion on our parts, we decided to accept his proposition. The problem is, the Mirage wanted a quarter of the loot."

"And you weren't willing to give that up." Frank finished.

"You were planning to double-cross him?" Nancy asked.

"Well, in so many words, yes." Charity said. Noticing the impatient looks Joe was giving her, she said. "Here's where Vanessa comes in. Fiona and I needed the money for equipment to rob the museum. So we robbed a convenience store."

"Hah." Joe snorted. "The world's best cat burglars, robbing gas stations?"

"It wasn't worth the trouble of planning a big robbery." Charity explained. "The hardest part was making it look like an amateur job without getting caught. Between the three of us, we could have robbed that store without even being seen, but if the Mirage had somehow found out that money had just disappeared without a trace, he might have gotten suspicious of us."

"What do you mean?" Joe asked.

"The Mirage had offered to supply the means of robbing the place, so if he found that Charity and Fiona were stealing smaller amounts of money from other stores, he might suspect that they were trying to pull off the theft on their own." Frank told him.

"Exactly." Charity said, giving Frank a smile. "Anyway, stealing the money was easy. Fiona put on a mask and went into the store with the gun. The cashier gave her the money and she ran to the curb, where Dr. Fox was waiting in the getaway car. We ran into a bit of trouble when the cashier called the police and they started searching for her car, but we had a plan. The Foxes would drive to the parking lot down the street, where I would be waiting in a different car. Fiona would take the money and get in the car with me, and Dr. Fox would keep driving around, disguised, of course, as a feeble old man. He would let himself be caught if necessary, but there would be nothing incriminating in the car, so he couldn't be arrested."

Frank and Nancy nodded to show that they were with her. "And Vanessa?" Joe pressed.

"She accidentally stumbled into the middle of our transaction." Charity said simply. "I was late, being held up in traffic." She shook her head. "I know! Can you believe it? Anyway, I wasn't in the appointed spot in my black Taurus, but _someone _was in the appointed spot."

"Vanessa." Nancy put in.

"That's right." Joe said. "But she drives a blue Taurus, not black."

Charity rolled her eyes. "It was the middle of the night, Joe, and this neighborhood isn't exactly well-lighted. It's easy to mistake a dark blue Taurus with a blonde driver for a black Taurus with a strawberry-blonde driver in the dark, and that's what Fiona did. She jumped out of the getaway car into the backseat of Vanessa's, thinking it was mine. It was just a case of mistaken identity." She shook her head sadly. "The best laid plans…"

"What happened to Vanessa?" Joe practically yelled.

Charity shrugged. "From what I can tell, Vanessa screamed, and Fiona hit her over the head with her father's cane. Reflex, you know?"

Joe growled, letting go of Fiona and stepping away from her. Fiona stared at him with red-rimmed eyes. "I'm sorry, Joe. I didn't hurt her much; she was only unconscious. I realized then what must have happened, so I carefully wiped all of my fingerprints off the car and cane, stashed the cane under the car, and waited for Charity to come. She did eventually, and we put the girl in Charity's car and took her to the hotel. We had no idea she knew you, honestly."

"That's right. If we had known you were going to show up looking for her, we certainly would have left her in the car." Charity added. "More trouble than she was worth, that one."

"We would not have left her!" Fiona exclaimed. "We brought her back to make sure she was okay."

"And because she had found out about your little operation." Joe growled.

A confused look passed over Frank's face, but he said nothing.

"When we brought her back to the hotel, we had to drag her between the two of us." Charity laughed. "We told the receptionist she was drunk."

Nancy ignored the comment. "How did she get kidnapped?"

Charity frowned. "I suppose we underestimated the Mirage. Early this morning, he sent some men to our room. We promised to untie Vanessa if she went to sleep, so she wasn't bound, but Fiona was watching her. She had mentioned that she was Joe's girlfriend, in a rather threatening way, I might say, so we agreed that she needed to be carefully guarded. Anyway, two thugs showed up and wanted to know who she was, and why she was in on the operation. So we told them that she was my sister."

"Oh." Nancy breathed. "So they took Vanessa and Dr. Fox back to the Mirage as hostages so the two of you wouldn't double-cross him."

"Yes." Fiona said sadly, tears leaking from her eyes.

"What are you going to do?" Frank asked.

"Go to the police?" Joe suggested.

Fiona hiccupped. "Really, Joe. Charity and I are master thieves wanted in several states. Do you really think we could go to the police?"

"Well, what are you going to do?" Frank repeated. "And why did you contact us?"

"Well, we felt bad about losing Vanessa." Fiona confessed ashamedly. "When we heard you were here, we knew that you at least deserved the chance to try to rescue her." she looked at Joe pityingly. "Also…"

"What?" Joe demanded.

"Without my father, we were having some trouble planning the heist." Fiona said, unable to look Joe in the face.

"You want us to help you rob a museum!" Frank exclaimed disbelievingly.

Charity stood up and walked towards him. "More specifically," She stopped in front of Nancy and looked her in the eye. "We want _you _to help us rob the museum."

* * *

A/N: This is definitely my favorite chapter!Will Nancy have to help the thieves robthemuseum?Sorry for the wait, but my Science Olympiad team is training hard for a state competition, so I don't have much time to write. Please review and tell me what you think of this chapter; you have no idea how much I'd appreciate it! 


	10. Chapter Ten

Disclaimer: Not mine.

A/N: Over a hundred reviews! You guys rock so much, you deserve a new chapter!

* * *

"Me?" Nancy exclaimed, standing up. "You want _me_ to rob a museum?"

Charity held up her hands. "Calm down, Drew. We wouldn't ask you to do this if we didn't have to. Trust me; it's way more fun to rob a museum alone."

Nancy sank back onto the bed in defeat. "Okay. What do I have to do?"

Fiona spoke up softly. "Tomorrow night we're going to stage a combination museum robbery and rescue of Vanessa and my dad."

"Exactly." Charity agreed. "We figured it's the only thing to do. We have a plan: Nancy and Fiona will steal the paintings while Frank and I rescue the hostages."

"What about me?" Joe asked angrily.

Charity waved him off. "You can drive the getaway car." She turned to Frank. "I picked you because I've heard you have the most experience with bombs. We're going to need one to blow open the grate of the ventilation system."

Frank buried his head in his hands. "This is illegal on so many levels."

"Here's the idea." Charity said, ignoring Frank's comment. "The robbery is set for tomorrow night. We have reason to believe that the Mirage will have either men or cameras watching us. Nancy will take my place at the museum. We favor each other enough that the Mirage won't notice the difference. Meanwhile, Frank and I will go to the Mirage's hotel. We'll blow open the grate in the back and crawl through the ventilation system until we reach the room where Vanessa and Dr. Fox are being held. The Mirage won't be expecting anything because he'll think that both Fiona and I are at the museum."

"How will we know where the Mirage is staying?" Frank asked slowly.

Charity grinned and produced a small electrical device. "I planted a tracker on one of the men who came to the room." she said. "He led us straight to a hotel in the city."

"Hmm." Frank muttered.

"No." Joe said. "The Mirage has to get arrested. We can't let him escape with all this priceless art!" He leveled his gaze at Fiona, then Charity. "And we can't let you have the paintings either."

Fiona burst into tears once more. "I don't care about the paintings anymore!" she bawled. "I only want my dad."

Charity said nothing, but looked suitably abashed.

"What time tomorrow are we talking about here?" Frank wanted to know.

"Eleven-thirty, midnight." Charity replied. "We'll come to your room. Be ready. Don't bring anything, but wear black. Joe, we'll get you a car. You probably realize that this isn't our room, so we won't be here if you come looking for us. Any more questions?"

"No." Joe answered sullenly.

"I have a question." Frank said. "What if we choose not to do it?"

Fiona sniffed. "Please, Frank. The Mirage is a ruthless criminal. I don't want my father in his hands any longer than he has to be. The hostages don't matter to him!" she lowered her voice to a whisper. "That's why we're breaking them out. If my father has seen the Mirage, the Mirage will have to kill him."

"And he won't hesitate to do the same to Vanessa." Charity needled, eyeing Joe.

Joe glared daggers at her, but restrained himself, to his credit.

"Goodbye." Fiona said suddenly.

The three detectives looked at her questioningly, when Charity threw open the window, sat on the sill, and slid out.

"Oh my God!" Nancy cried, rushing over to the window, expecting to see Charity lying on the sidewalk below.

"Don't bother." Joe said flatly. "That's one of her favorite tricks. Is there a rope tied to the shutter?"

Nancy looked out to see a white nylon cord lashed to the side of the building. "You called it." she said. "What a character. She looked around. "Where's Frank? And Fiona?"

"Oh." Joe said. "She ran and Frank went after her. I guess she was counting on Charity's little escape to distract us."

"It worked." Nancy said ruefully. "Come on; let's go see if we can help Frank."

"You can't." Frank said, coming into the room. "She lost me right away. Those girls are tricky! You guys think we're out of our league?"

"No way!" Nancy and Joe answered together.

Frank sat on the bed next to Nancy and took her hand. "Hey, Nan, are you okay?"

"I'm going back to the room." Joe announced.

"Okay." Nancy and Frank replied, not even looking his way. "We'll be down in a minute." Frank added. Joe slipped out.

"You don't have to do this, Nancy." Frank said seriously, his eyes boring into hers.

Nancy tore her gaze from Frank's to look after Joe. "Actually, I think I do." she said firmly. "Van's my friend, and Joe, and if they need help…"

Frank nodded. "I understand." he told her. He could feel their faces moving closer…

Nancy blushed. "Thanks, though." she said, a lump forming in her throat. She loved being this close to Frank. She just wished it weren't such a desperate situation.

"Nancy…" Frank said, in a voice that was almost a whisper, "Can I… we…"

"We shouldn't…" Nancy smiled. "Callie already hates me."

"No, she doesn't." Frank said. "Anyway, she… doesn't matter."

"That's a terrible thing to say, Frank Hardy." Nancy teased.

He smiled. "You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do…" Nancy said softly, kissing him on the lips. She closed her eyes as she felt Frank's arms encircle her and pull her closer. That was another thing she loved about him: the way he made her feel safe. Maybe, just for a few minutes, she could get lost in his arms and forget everything else. Maybe even the fact that twenty-four hours from now she would be a criminal…

* * *

Joe lay on his bed and stared at the crack in the ceiling, trying to process all of the information he had just received.

…_Vanessa and Dr. Fox had been kidnapped… Charity and Fiona were teaming up to rob a museum… Nancy was going to have to help them…_

Joe felt torn. He couldn't really ask Nancy to compromise her safety in order to ensure Vanessa's. On the other hand, he loved Vanessa, and he sure as hell wasn't going to lose her… He didn't think he'd be able to handle it. He guessed he would have to talk to Nancy, and soon.

Speaking of Nancy, he realized that he probably shouldn't have left her up there with his brother. He laughed at his own absurd thought. Frank was the bravest person he knew, but when it came to Nancy, Joe didn't know if Frank had it in him to make a move.

Frank and Nancy walked in then, looking a bit embarrassed, and Joe frowned. He guessed he was rooting for them, deep down inside. "Hey, Nancy, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Listen, Joe, I want to do it." Nancy said immediately.

"Are you sure?" Joe asked, all ready to give his "compromise your safety" speech. "Because I really wouldn't blame you if you don't, and-"

"Relax, Joe. I'm gonna do it. I want to." Nancy repeated bravely.

Joe gave her a look of mixed gratitude and respect. "Thanks, Nan."

"Yeah." Nancy said quietly. "But if I think of a way to get out of it without anyone... getting hurt, I'm taking it."

"We'll figure something out." Frank promised.

"Good. Because I've never been big on grand larceny." Nancy flashed the brothers a tired smile and retreated into the bathroom.

Frank threw himself down on the couch and listened to the shower running. "There's got to be a way…" he said.

Joe frowned. "If _you_ can't think of anything, what are we going to do?"

Frank shook his head. "Something's not right. This feels like a setup."

"Well, of course it's a setup!" Joe retorted.

"Seriously, Joe," Frank mused. "When have Charity and Fiona even been honest with us?"

"Never."

"Right. And there's a few things I don't understand about this whole scheme…" Frank trailed off, thinking.

There was a long silence as neither brother had a flash of inspiration. After a few minutes of tense stillness, Joe decided now was as good a time as any to talk about Nancy. "Did you kiss her?" he asked, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Yes." Frank answered dully. He sat up, looking at Joe. "Why?"

"What happened?" Joe asked with profound interest.

Frank ran his hand through his dark hair. "Nothing.We were talking, though.Joe, we're stuck. We're more than friends, but less than a couple. We're involved with other people. Nothing can happen between us." He frowned. "It's frustrating."

Joe didn't know what to say, so he stayed quiet, thinking. Nancy got out of the shower, put on her nightgown, and climbed into bed. None of the detectives got much sleep, though. They could hear each other tossing and turning restlessly all night.

* * *

A/N: Okay, that's all the energy I have for writing right now, so I just ended it here. Sorry to the mystery people; this chapter was kind of fluffy. I was just in a fluff mood today. But, in my defense, you do get some plot details in the beginning.Next chapter: we find out what's up with Ned and Callie, and, yay, it's the day of the robbery! Please review; I love you guys! 


	11. Chapter Eleven

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

Ned was having trouble sleeping. Shifting uncomfortably in his bed, he couldn't seem to get his mind to stop working. Worrying about Vanessa, thinking about Nancy…and Callie. Sighing, he rolled out of bed, slipped a t-shirt on over his boxers, and went outside, intending to go for a walk. Somehow, though, he ended up outside Callie's door. Impulsively, he knocked.

The door swung open, revealing Callie, wearing flannel pants and a tank top. She blushed when she saw Ned. "Couldn't sleep, huh?" she asked.

"Right." Ned said uneasily, rubbing his neck.

"Me neither." Callie said. "I was watching The Patriot. Come on in."

Ned went in and sat on the couch across from the TV, and Callie closed the door and sat next to him. Watching her, Ned could tell that she wasn't really watching the movie, so he reached over and turned it off. "Want to talk?" he pried gently.

Callie smiled. "You're right. I wasn't really concentrating. I just feel so… helpless waiting here for the guys to find Vanessa. And Nancy." she added quickly. "Vanessa's my friend, and I can't help worrying about her."

"And you can't help worrying about Frank." Ned said quietly. "Because he could be doing something dangerous."

Callie laughed. "It's weird, but I get angry at Frank because I have to worry about him so much. He's always doing something dangerous. For a good cause, of course, but I think he could stay out of trouble if he really wanted to." She glanced at Ned. "Is that ridiculous?"

Ned shook his head. "Not at all." he said emphatically. "That's exactly how I feel about Nancy. I just hate being the one who does the worrying while she takes all the risks. And how I'm second fiddle to-"

"To whatever case has to be solved now." Callie finished.

"Yes!" Ned said. Finally, somebody who understood! When Ned told anyone else how he felt about Nancy's work, he ended up feeling selfish because Nancy was helping people and he wanted her to stop. But Callie felt the same way.

She smiled. "It's hard to talk about that with anyone else. I guess we're more alike than we thought."

"I guess so." Ned said. Looking at Callie, thoughts of the kiss they'd shared earlier came rushing back. He didn't want to say anything about it, but he thought they should talk. "Callie," he began, "About what happened earlier-"

Callie stopped him. "Do you want to forget it?" she asked guardedly.

Ned stared at her long and hard. "No." he said finally.

"Me neither."

Ned raised his eyebrows. "You don't." He repeated. "What happens next? I'm not even sure I know what I want anymore." he admitted.

"I think-" Callie stopped. "No. I know what I want." she answered, staring pointedly at Ned. She leaned forward and wound her arms around his neck. Seeing the surprise on his face, she blushed and said, "Ned… I'm sick of waiting around for Frank, and I think you feel the same about Nancy. We have chemistry, Ned. Can't you feel it?"

Ned kissed her. He could feel it.

* * *

Nancy, Joe, and Frank awoke the next morning with red eyes, stiff limbs, and tense anxiety. All day, the three waited around, only leaving the small, depressing room for breakfast and lunch. Some more sleep would have been nice, but they were too nervous to sleep. They didn't talk much either; nobody could concentrate on having a full conversation.

Joe almost suggested they forget the museum robbery and just rescue Vanessa themselves, but every time he opened his mouth he remembered Fiona's tears and her crying that the Mirage would kill the hostages if anything went wrong. Even if nothing went wrong. Joe shivered.

Frank paced restlessly, which was uncharacteristic for him. He was supposed to be the calm, logical one with the plans. But right now, he had nothing. He felt panicked, racking his brain to find a solution to their problem, but all he got was a headache and the sickening feeling that they were running out of time. He cast a sympathetic glance at Nancy, who was sitting on the bed and staring into space. They all felt she had gotten the worst assignment, and Frank would have done anything to help her…but there was nothing to be done.

Since he had talked to Nancy last night, they had acted somewhat disconnected from each other. They were polite and friendly, but nothing more. He realized that starting something with Nancy might be starting something he could not finish, but it was times like this when he felt like starting something anyway…

Nancy spoke up. "We should call Casa Verde." she said woodenly. She picked up the phone and had a sudden thought. "Frank? Did you call Callie yesterday?"

Frank stopped pacing. "Sure. I called from a pay phone while Joe and I were waiting for the pizza, but she didn't pick up."

"Oh." Nancy said absently. "That's when I was talking to her."

"Yeah?" said Frank, without much interest. "What'd she say?"

Nancy recalled the argument about the sleeping arrangements and almost laughed; it suddenly seemed pretty trivial. "Nothing much." she answered.

"I'll call her again later." Frank said. He really did not feel like talking to Callie now.

"There might not be a later." Joe mumbled morosely.

No one moved for a moment, each caught up in their own thoughts. The moment passed. Frank resumed pacing. Nancy dialed Casa Verde.

Someone picked up the phone. "Hello?" It was George.

Nancy smiled weakly at the sound of her friend's voice. "Hey, George, it's Nancy." Suddenly she realized that she didn't want to talk about what was going on here. "What's going on over there?" she asked.

George laughed. "Nothing. What's really important is how it's going over there." An idea seemed to occur to her. "Did you want to talk to Ned?"

"No! No." Nancy said quickly. "I mean, that's alright."

George sounded skeptical. "Are you okay? How's the investigation coming? Is Joe holding up okay?"

Nancy glanced at him. "Not really, pretty badly, and as well as can be expected."

"So…"

All of the sudden Nancy realized that she didn't want to talk about it. Not that she could, seeing as how it was completely illegal…

Joe stood up. "That George? Can I talk to her?"

Nancy willingly handed over the phone, only to freeze in her tracks as she heard a knock on the door. She met Frank's gaze. "What if we just don't answer that?" she whispered.

"I heard that." Charity's sickly-sweet voice made Nancy want to throw up. "Open the door."

Frank crossed the room and opened the door. Charity stood there clad in black with a jean jacket draped over her shoulders. "Ready to go?" she asked Frank.

Frank eyed her eager grin. "You're enjoying this!" he accused sourly.

Charity shrugged. "It's my passion. Now come on."

"Yeah…" Frank said in defeat. He looked over at his brother, who was talking on the phone in a soft voice, but still watching Charity. "Joe…"

Joe lowered the phone. "We'll be careful if you do." he assured Frank.

Frank smiled weakly. "Good." he paused. "I'll…see you later." His eyes met Joe's, then Nancy's.

Charity rolled her eyes. "This is really cute, but we got work to do, you know?"

"Where…Where's Fiona?" Nancy spoke up.

Charity glanced around furtively, as if she was afraid of eavesdroppers. "She'll be here for you and Joe in about an hour, around eleven." She straightened up, squared her shoulders in a businesslike manner, and said. "Let's move."

Frank steeled himself and followed her out without a backward glance.

* * *

A/N: Sorry about the long update, I've just been super busy lately.And yes, I know some of you are going to be mad at me for the Ned/Callie thing, but I think I've made my fav pairings pretty clear, so suck it up. And, of course, don't forget to review, it really keeps my mind on getting these chapters up faster. Thanks!


	12. Chapter Twelve

A/N: Sorry for the long wait, guys, as I've had practically no time to write. At first I couldn't quite figure out how to start the chapter, but it's really amazing how things come to you when you're trying to put off your English essay... Well, here it goes; as usual, please read and review!

* * *

Nancy took deep breaths through her nose to calm herself down as Joe drove the black sedan (the preferred car of criminals) toward the spot where they were supposed to meet Fiona. It wasn't working. Nancy had never been prone to anxiety, but tonight was a special case.

Joe turned on the radio. Just in case the car was bugged, he didn't want Fiona hearing what he had to say. He glanced around. "Okay, Nancy, I've got a plan." he said quietly. "It's not Frank-caliber, but it just might get us all through this alive."

Nancy let out a shaky breath and looked at him through wide eyes. "Let's hear it."

* * *

Charity stopped the car a few blocks from the hotel, which was on the outskirts of town and sandwiched between a train station and a restauant. Charity and Frank got out and made their way slowly, arms around each other, looking for all the world like a couple in love. As they passed the hotel, Charity shot a coy look at Frank and drew him into the dark side alley behind the building. Frank followed. A show for any nosy bystanders or prying eyes. As soon as they were out of sight, Frank shook Charity off him. "Let's just do this, huh?" he asked tensely.

"But of course." Charity replied, glancing at her watch. She pulled out a flashlight and walked toward a line of trash cans near the kitchen's back door. She took the lid off the last one in the line and Frank saw that it was filled, not with garbage, but with many things, including a long length of rope, a knife, and, to his astonishment, a large yellow lump of plastic explosive and a detonator.

"Where did you get that?" he hissed. He had been prepared to make a more conventional chemical bomb, but she'd made his job much easier- and more dangerous. A lump the size of the one in the can, if placed correctly, could easily fell the entire building.

Charity smiled drolly. "Frank, dear, just because something is incredibly illegal doesn't mean it can't be obtained... Especially when you have connections like I do."

Frank snorted. "Oh, come off it. I bet there's a huge black market for this stuff." Carefully, he lifted the detonator out and away from the explosive.

Charity looked wounded. "You were expecting something along the lines of TNT?" she asked distainfully. "Sorry, I don't do primitive."

"I can see that." Frank answered, studying the detonator under Charity's flashlight. He had seen these once before, during a case in New York City. All you had to do was embed the detonator in the claylike explosive, plant the explosive, hit the button and stand back. He glanced suspiciously at Charity. Something didn't quite fit. She was more than capable of doing this by herself... But all he said was, "Where's this grate we're getting rid of?"

"Up there." Charity pointed. It was about ten feet off the ground.

"Great." Frank replied. "If I stand on the can, can you hand up the detonator?" Charity nodded, and Frank climbed onto the can. He reached up to the vent and smeared just a fingerful of the plastic explosive under the sides of the grate. Charity handed him the detonator and he wedged it into the explosive. Then he jumped down. "Before we do this," he said, "I've got two questions for you. One; how will we find the Mirage's room? Two; Won't somebody hear the noise?"

Charity smiled slyly. "Don't worry on both counts. I've got it all taken care of."

Frank stared at her. "Okay," he finally said, gripping the detonation switch. "Say the word..."

Charity checked her watch. "Wait..." she said. "Just a few more seconds..."

Off in the distance, Frank heard a whistle. A train was coming into the nearby station. Then it hit him; Charity planned to use the train to mask the noise of the explosion. He gave her a look of grudging admiration. It was clever.

The train came closer. Frank saw the light and felt the ground shake under his feet. As it passed them, the train let out a long, low whistle. Charity nodded, and Frank pressed the button. There was a flash and a clatter that was barely audible over the rumbling of the train as the grate fell to the ground. Charity's smile glowed white in the dark. "Let's go." she said, loudly enough to be heard. She reached for the coil of rope from the can and hoisted it over her shoulder. She took the knife too, thrusting it into her belt. Quickly, she climbed onto the can, grabbed the edge of the opening where the grate had been, and pulled herself up, disappearing into the blackness.

Frank was impressed. It took a lot of arm strength to pull yourself up that far. Charity was good; there was no getting around it.

Charity's head reappeared. "You coming?" she called impatiently.

Frank stood on the trash can and hoisted himself up the same way Charity had done and found himself in a dark, enclosed ventillation shaft. It was cramped, but there was still enough room for him to crawl. "Now," he said. "You mentioned you had a plan?"

"That's right. Follow me." And with that, Charity held her flashlight between her teeth and crawled forward.

* * *

George ran down the hallway to Callie's room and opened the door. "Ca-" The word died in her throat as she observed Callie and Ned in a passionate lip-lock. They obviously hadn't heard her. Her eyes widened, and she slowly backed out of the room and tried again, knocking this time. "Hey, Callie," she called from outside the door, "I'm going out. Don't know when I'll be back. Tell Bess if you see her."

"Okay, George!" Callie called back. Sounding a little breathless, George thought wryly. It seemed that Bess knew more about Ned and Callie than she'd thought. She shook her head. It seemed everyone was risking everything tonight... she hoped there'd be no broken hearts later.

* * *

"You ready?" Joe murmured.

Nancy pulled on her gloves. "As I'll ever be."

"Nan?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks."

Nancy nodded, and then padded towards the museum after Fiona, black hat covering her titan hair. She was still nervous, but less so than before she had a plan.

* * *

A/N: There you go! I hope it doesn't seem too dragged out; I've been trying to get to the climax here, but all of this stuff just works its way in... Anyway, let me know what you think. I'd be happy to get any questions, comments, or criticism, so please leave a review! Thanks so much!


	13. Chapter Thirteen

A/N: Sorry for the holdup. You all know me... Anyway, thanks for all the great reviews; keep it up, of course!

A/N: MzPink, Fiona Fox is a real character from the Nancy Drew/ Hardy Boys Supermysteries. She appeared in both _The Paris Connection _and my personal favorite, _A Crime For Christmas_. Incidentally, the plastic explosive is also something I found in that book... I know katie janeway knows what I'm talking about! ; )

* * *

"Fiona!" Nancy hissed. "Shouldn't I be in on the plan?"

Fiona glanced back at the nervous strawberry-blonde behind her. "I already told you and Joe: We get into the museum, Mirage's goons load the truck, I get in the truck, you and Joe take the car back to the rental place, get your old car, head back to the hotel, and meet up with Frank and Vanessa, if all goes well."

Nancy sighed in exasperation; it was clear that Fiona didn't intend to share the details of just how they'd be breaking into said museum.

Fiona indicated a truck half a block from the museum. Its electric company logo made it fairly inconspicuous. "That's the one." she whispered, mostly to herself.

Nancy squinted and was able to make out two black-clad figures in the cab. She bit her lip, thinking of Joe and his plan. Would he be able to handle the Mirage's musclemen? She was jerked out of her thoughts when Fiona stopped abruptly in front of her. "Follow my footsteps exactly." she warned softly. "There are motion activated floodlights covering the lawn. One misstep could be most unfortunate."

Nancy nodded tautly and quickly trailed Fiona across the lawn. When the reached the building, the pair pressed against the brick wall. "Why didn't the lights pick us up?" Nancy asked.

Fiona smiled, teeth flashing white in the dark. "One of them is broken." she replied. "Courtesy of the Mirage." She handed Nancy the bag she'd been carrying over her shoulder. "Hold this." After rifling through the bag, Fiona triumphantly held up a pair of ordinary scissors. Seeing Nancy's confused look, she explained, "This museum hasn't had anything worth stealing in a long time. They had to step up security before the Velazquez exhibit could be displayed here, of course, but there was no need to improve the whole building's security..." Grinning again, she reached up to the window and snipped a protruding wire. No more alarm. "We won't reach anything more high-tech until we get to the hall where the Velazquezs are kept."

Nancy was stunned at how easily she and Fiona got into the museum and stealthily made their way to the exhibit. She was waiting for an alarm to sound any second, but none came. Was it really possible that their security was this bad? How had the museum not been robbed before this?

Finally, the two girls came to a locked door. "This is it." Fiona breathed.

"Are we going to pick the lock?" Nancy asked doubtfully.

Fiona nodded. She took a deep breath and decided to tell Nancy something she would not want to hear. "Listen, Nancy. When an exhibit is as valuable as this one is, the insurance companies don't want to keep you from getting in. They want to keep you from getting back out."

* * *

Frank held his breath as he followed Charity through the dusty ventilation system. His mind was spinning: something wasn't adding up. Before he could analyze it, Charity slowed to a stop. "Right down there." she whispered.

Frank peered through the grate and caught sight of Vanessa lying on a bed, duct tape covering her mouth and binding her wrists and ankles together. "Vanessa! Thank god." Something occured to him. "I don't see Dr. Fox in there anywhere..."

Charity shrugged. "We can look for him when we get in there." She shifted around, unintentionally making loud noises in the cramped shaft. Reaching for her bag, she pulled a length of rope out of it. "Okay, here's the plan." she hissed. "Since Vanessa's probably drugged, she'll need some help getting up here. I'm going to lower you down using this rope, and when you get down there I want you to make sure she's alert enough to come with us."

"What about the Mirage?" Frank asked. "If he's around, we won't have time to-"

Charity cut him off. "Well then we'd better not waste it." She kicked out the grate, sending it to the floor with a clang. Vanessa jumped, eyes wide, and stared at the grate.

Frank gave Charity a look. "Great; wake the whole hotel. It's not like we're trying to rescue hostages or anything." Taking hold of the rope Charity had anchored to a gas pipe, he quickly lowered himself to the floor, noting curiously that the ceiling was at least ten feet higher than a normal ceiling.

Seeing Frank, Vanessa tried to talk. Frank ran to her and gently removed the tape over her mouth. "Are you okay?" he asked, taking his pocketknife to free her arms and legs.

Vanessa shook her head and looked around worriedly. "Dr. Fox-" she started, but Frank stopped her.

"We'll worry about him in a minute, but now-"

"It's a trick!" Vanessa burst out. "They're going to double-cross you!"

Frank whirled around, looking to the vent he had just come from. Charity was gone. "A trick?" he repeated dumbly. He suddenly knew, with sickening clarity, that she was right. Clenching his fists, he berated himself. "How could I be so stupid!"

Vanessa stood up and rubbed her red wrists. "We have to get out of here."

"I know." Frank headed for the door, but before he could reach it, it was flung open. Two muscled thugs were standing on the other side: one on either side of a smiling Dr. Fox.

"Well, well, well, Frank Hardy. We meet again." Dr. Fox commented softly. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I can't let you leave just yet."

"Could you please stop with the bad cliches and overused movie quotes?" Frank sniped coolly.

Frowning, Dr. Fox gave a stiff nod to his goons, who advanced menacingly on Frank and Vanessa.

* * *

A/N: Another short one. Ah, well, at least it's something, right? And it's also very late at night, so, without further ado, the usual spiel: comments, questions, and criticisms welcomed... Thanks for reading... I love you all... PLEASE REVIEW! 


	14. Chapter Fourteen

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! Keep it up!

* * *

"What's going on?" Frank demanded of Dr. Fox. 

"We did not want to have to involve you in this." the middle-aged man replied gravely. "But when you stumbled in on your own we had to change our plans."

"Darn right." Frank agreed darkly. He shot a wary look at Vanessa. He knew she was normally perfectly able to hold her own in a fight, but she had just been kidnapped and drugged. Who knew what condition she was in at the moment?

Seeing his look, Vanessa gave him a tight smile and drew herself up a little straighter.

"Such melodrama." Dr. Fox chided. "You know that the Foxes are not murderers. We certainly aren't planning to have you killed."

"And we appreciate it. We really do." Vanessa broke in sarcastically.

With that, the taller of the two musclemen seized her by the arm and held her tightly. "Quiet." he ordered. Vanessa stared at him defiantly but said nothing.

"You're hurting her." Dr. Fox admonished. "There will be no need for that." The tall man reluctantly relinquished his grip on Vanessa's arm, and Dr. Fox continued, "However, my daughter and I do need to ensure that the two of you are kept out of the way until we can make our escape. After that, you will be freed and we can all pretend this didn't happen."

"But what about the Mirage?" Frank asked.

Dr. Fox grinned. "The Mirage? Why don't you tell me?"

Frank gritted his teeth. "He doesn't exist, does he?"

"The very definition of mirage: something which only _appears_ to exist... The name itself should have told you everything." Dr. Fox replied sagely.

"Well, aren't we clever?" Vanessa spat. The tall thug grabbed her by the arm again, but she shook him off.

Frank was beating himself up for not seeing it earlier. "You found Vanessa by accident and realized we'd come looking for her. You faked the whole Mirage kidnapping to throw us off your trail. You set this all up to keep us occupied while you, Fiona, and Charity pulled off that art theft!"

"That's right." Dr. Fox confirmed. "And, if you'll excuse me, I have important things to do." He turned to leave, offering a few parting words to his henchmen. "Remember, I want them incapacitated, not beaten."

The two men nodded. As soon as Dr. Fox was gone, the shorter one said, "Get the boy first." The tall man produced a coil of strong rope and approached Frank, who tensed himself for action. Vanessa inched towards the door.

"I'd stop there if I was you, sweetheart." The short man warned. From his pants pocket he pulled a small pistol and leveled it at her.

Frank groaned inwardly. Now they were outnumbered.

The tall thug turned back to Vanessa. "Trying to run?" he growled.

"I'm still thinking about it." Vanessa snapped back.

The tall man glowered at the infuriating blonde for a moment before a slow grin spread across his face, baring his crooked teeth. "Hey, I know what the boss said, but what do you say we rough 'em up a bit anyway?"

* * *

"Hey kid! Wha-"

_Smack!_

Wait for it...

Footsteps. A second man. "Hey, what's going on!"

_Smack!_

"Uggh!"

Joe shook out his fist and listened quietly for any more of the Mirage's henchmen. He couldn't believe he had gotten rid of Fiona's only "manpower" with only two punches. There was definitely something going on here, and he didn't like it...

* * *

As it turned out, the locked door was not the door to the exhibition room, but to the surveillance headquarters. Dozens of computer monitors played footage from the museum's security cameras. Fiona glanced around. "Good. There's no one here." Working quickly, she entered codes into several monitors.

"What are you doing?" Nancy hissed.

Fiona explained that she was feeding the cameras a loop. Every monitor in the security office would show an empty room.

"I thought that only worked in movies." Nancy commented.

"You'd better hope it works in real life, too, or we're going to get busted."

Nancy took that as her cue to shut up.

* * *

The short goon considered quickly. "Hey, it ain't like we're ever gonna see Fox again anyhow..." 

The tall thug took this as his cue, cocking his fist to swing at Frank, who ducked the punch and buried his own fist in the man's stomach.

"Hey!" The short one called. "There'll be none of that now!" He gestured with the pistol, keeping it pointed at Vanessa. "Remember who has the gun. We wouldn't want your girlfriend here to get hurt."

Frank backed away from his attacker. Did they expect him to stand still and just take the beating? The tall man took another swipe at him, which he blocked. He could hold his own without attacking if he needed to, but only for so long. Blow after blow rained down on him, but only a few did any real damage.

Vanessa winced as Frank took a hard punch to the stomach. Involuntarily backing up, she bumped into a nightstand. Her hand brushed the desk phone. Quickly looking up at the short man, she saw that he was watching Frank, although the gun was still aimed at her. Behind her back, she detached the phone receiver from its cord without looking down. Recognizing her one chance, she winged the receiver at the short man's face with all her might and simultaneously leapt aside.

The short man fired. The bullet splintered the table Vanessa had been standing by just a few seconds ago. Frank took this opportunity to knock the tall man out with a single karate chop to the neck. The short man dropped the gun to mop the blood from his clearly-broken nose. "Stop!" he shouted thickly, blood spraying from his mouth.

"I don't think so." Vanessa said, scooping up the gun. Frank came up behind the bleeding henchman and knocked him out painlessly. Looking for a place to dispose of the gun, Vanessa dropped it into the toilet. Coming back into the bedroom, she found Frank checking the pulses of their unconscious attackers. "Are they okay?" she asked. "Are you okay?"

"Fine." Frank assured her. "Just a few bruises."

"And a bloody lip." Vanessa added, handing him a tissue. "You don't want to go meet Nancy looking like that." she teased.

"Nancy!" Frank gasped. He'd nearly forgotten. He grabbed Vanessa by the wrist and dragged her out of the hotel room. "She doesn't know that it's a trap!"

* * *

A/N: It's a _bit_ longer than usual. I hope you liked it... please leave a review and let me know! 


	15. Chapter Fifteen

A/N: Thanks, as always, to all my reviewers! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I just realized I haven't done these the last few chapters... Oh well, you all know I don't own Nan, the Hardys, and friends.

* * *

"Lasers." Fiona diagnosed coolly, studying the painting enclosed in the sturdy glass case. "If we break the beam, we set off the alarm." 

"How do we get the painting without breaking the beam?"

Fiona gestured to the bag Nancy was still holding. "We'll need the mirrors, pliers, glass cutter..."

Handing over the tools, Nancy felt sick. She knew there was no way she could do this, plan or no plan. She hoped Joe would understand... hoped _Vanessa_ would understand...

Rather than let the priceless artwork be stolen, Nancy was going to trip the alarm.

* * *

Sitting in the cab of the Mirage's truck, Joe thought he detected a flicker of movement across the street. A minute later a figure emerged from the darkness, creeping up to the truck, opening the door, and sliding into the passenger's side of the cab.

"Glad you could make it, George." Joe said, keeping his voice low.

"Happy to help." the black-clad brunette replied just as quietly. "Now can you explain what you meant on the phone earlier? What's going on here?"

"Nancy's in that museum-" Joe started tensely, but was interrupted as a car screamed around the corner, fishtailing wildly. It screeched to a stop, parked haphazardly on the wrong side of the street, and its blonde driver stumbled out and over to the truck. Joe got out of the cab to steady a breathless Charity. "Charity! What happened? Is Van okay? Where's Frank?" He hoped she wouldn't ask questions about why he was in the truck instead of the goons; luckily, he'd already stashed them in the back. "What are you doing here?"

"We got caught!" Charity gasped, shaking her head as if in disbelief. "Frank... captured. And Vanessa. By the Mirage..."

"And you just left them?" Joe exclaimed angrily. Looking around, he lowered his voice. "You just left them to die?"

"What was I supposed to do?" Charity hissed. "Let myself get captured? Let the Mirage see me so that he knows the jig is up and calls the police on Fiona and Nancy? I came here because I thought it was the only place I'd be able to help!"

Joe eyed her coldly. No matter how much sense it made, he couldn't forgive her for abandoning Vanessa and Frank. "You came here to help? Then maybe you should get in there and help Fiona so Nancy doesn't have to do your dirty work!" He gave Charity a push toward the museum.

Charity stood up straight and peered into the cab of the truck. "Who's that girl?"

Joe gave her a stormy look.

"Alright, alright, I'm going..." she sauntered off in the same direction as Fiona and Nancy had taken, carefully avoiding the floodlights.

Joe collapsed back into the driver's seat, tense with worry. If Frank had been captured by the Mirage...

"I'm sure he'll be okay... Frank's gotten out of some pretty tough situations before." George offered sympathetically, although she only had the slightest idea of what was happening here.

Joe just stared past her, trying hard to focus on his part in helping Nancy escape rather than the fact the his brother and girlfriend were in mortal danger.

It wasn't working too well until the sound of police sirens snapped him out of it. "Get down." he warned George, and the two of them crouched low in the cab as police car after police car sped by the truck and stopped in front of the museum. "Oh god." he whispered. "They're going to get caught!"

"Did you say that _Nancy_ is in that museum?" George wanted to know.

Joe's answer caught in his throat as two figures appeared on the flat roof of the museum: one redheaded, one strawberry-blonde.

"Nancy?" George wondered.

"What do they think they're doing!" Joe asked, horrified. He changed his diagnosis. "They're going to get killed!" And where is Charity, he wondered. Did she not catch up to them in time?

"You are under arrest!" A policeman shouted into a megaphone. "Get your hands where we can see them!"

* * *

"That's as far as I can take you." the cab driver said. "The police have blocked everything off."

_We're too late, _Frank thought as he paid the cabbie. He and Vanessa ran through the maze of police cars, approaching the back door of the museum.

A young officer blocked their way. "Excuse me, I'm going to have to ask you to leave this area. We're attempting to make an arrest and this could get dangerous."

"Oh my god!" Vanessa cried suddenly, pointing. "Look on the roof!"

Frank turned and felt his stomach twist into a knot at the sight of the two girls on the roof. _Nancy and Fiona_.

"You are under arrest! Get your hands where we can see them!" Came a voice from the other side of the building.

With a quick nod to each other, the girls started to raise their hands in the air. A second later, however, they both appeared to be reaching for something...

The officer who had spoken to Frank and Vanessa turned from them, having more important things to attend to. He grabbed a megaphone and yelled, "Freeze! Now! Hands up, or we won't hesitate to shoot you!"

The girls looked at each other again. They seemed to concur. They did not put their hands up, instead, reaching inside their jackets...

"Nancy!" Frank yelled.

Two shots rang out, and the two figures crumpled out of sight.

* * *

A/N: Pretty quick update for me; sorry it wasn't longer. But what kind of author would I be if I didn't stop it at the cliffie? As always, please leave a review and I'll continue to love you! 


	16. Chapter Sixteen

A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed. I'm endeavoring to update quicker now, because I'm as eager to read the rest as you! Haha, I'm skimming time off my homework to do this, so it had better be worth it... Well, without further ado, here goes:

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not even a stick of gum to my name. No, really.

* * *

Officers converged on the museum doors, looking for the easiest route to the roof. Other policemen secured the perimeter, looking especially stern under dozens of red and blue flashing lights.

Frank and Vanessa stood still amongst the chaos of sirens and shouting.

"Nancy..." Vanessa gasped, wave after wave of shock breaking over her. She had seen people get shot before, but that never made it any less upsetting. And when the victim was someone she knew, one of her friends... She turned to Frank, eyes brimming with tears.

Frank stood, staring in muted horror at the place Nancy had fallen. The scene replayed in his head, over and over...The crack of the gunshot, her body being thrown backwards and hitting the roof next to Fiona's with a thud... Suddenly Frank bolted towards the building.

Vanessa grabbed him by the arm, barely slowing him. Instead he dragged her closer and closer to the museum. "Wait!" she called. "Frank! We can't go in there!"

"I need to!" Frank answered breathlessly, not stopping. "I need to see her."

"Frank!" Vanessa yelled again. "Hold on, just one minute, please!"

Frank slowed down and turned to her. The intense fear in his eyes rendered her speechless for a moment. "I... Frank, the police wouldn't shoot to kill. They wouldn't kill her if they could help it." She took the opportunity to get a better grip on his shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly. "I'm sure she'll be fine. Maybe just a little scratched up. In big legal trouble, probably, but her dad's a lawyer for heaven's-" She realized she was rambling; as was her habit when she was worried, or under pressure...or lying through her teeth.

An ambulance screamed onto the scene and several paramedics leapt out and carried a pair of stretchers into the building. Frank made a move to follow them. Vanessa kept a firm hold on his arm, digging her heels into the ground. "Van, please." Frank groaned. His composure seemed to be returning, and he fixed a pleading gaze on her. "I just need to... to see her."

Vanessa's heart broke for him. He was obviously hurting more than he wanted to let on. Vanessa had no doubt she'd be just as distraught if Joe were in Nancy's position. "Let's go." she whispered, taking him by the hand. The pair made their way towards the door.

"FRANK!"

Frank spun to face the voice and peered out into the darkness. "Did you... did you hear that?" he whispered.

Vanessa didn't answer; she was crying. She didn't know how, but the figure of one Nancy Drew was sprinting towards them.

Frank ran to meet her and swept her into his arms, pulling her to his chest. She was shaking as badly as he was. "They shot Charity and Fiona." she murmured, stricken.

Charity. That explained it. Sort of. The only thing that registered in Frank's mind was that he wasn't hallucinating; it was really Nancy. "I thought it was you." Frank whispered hoarsely, hearing his own voice crack and hating himself for it.

Nancy pulled back. "Oh, Frank..." Pulling off her black gloves, she raised a hand to his face. "I'm sorry." Slowly, deliberately, she stood on her toes, kissing him gently on the lips.

After a moment, Frank pulled away and stared into her wide blue eyes. Nancy watched emotion flicker across his face; fear, relief, tenderness... and finally settle on anger. "Don't ever-" he started to growl. He stopped suddenly.

"Not going to yell at me, Hardy?" Nancy teased gently.

"No." he replied with a slow smile, the anger ebbing out of his features. _That's something Ned might do._ "Stuff like that, all that crazy, dangerous stuff you do... it's just what you do. I expect it from you." _I love it about you._ He added silently. _By the way, real coherent sentence, Hardy. Dazzle her with your intelligence._

Nancy laughed softly. "Plus, you've done every crazy, dangerous thing I have, and more."

"You know it." Frank answered, joining her in laughing. _And speaking of crazy, dangerous things, I'm not done for the night._ Sobering up, he asked, "Are you okay?"

Nancy smiled tiredly. "Just a bit bruised, and some hopefully-reparable nerve damage... I don't think I'm any worse off than you." She added, gently fingering a bruise starting to appear on his cheek. "Why do you ask?"

Frank gathered his courage. "You scared the hell out of me tonight." he admitted. "I think I owe you an equally crazy and dangerous act of daring..." Flashing her a half-smile, he lowered his lips to hers, kissing her with every ounce of romantic tension he'd ever felt for her. She responded immediately, opening her mouth and deepening the kiss.

Ten feet away, Vanessa watched restlessly, arms crossed over her chest. Even a hopeless romantic like herself knew that it would be more practical to continue this little reunion somewhere where they were less likely to be arrested. "Guys?" she asked reluctantly.

Nancy and Frank had pulled apart and both turned to her, flushed and breathless. "Van!" Nancy cried, hugging her friend. "I'm sorry! I didn't even see you!"

Vanessa winked. "Sure... Hey, sorry to interrupt, but do you think we could find Joe, and, you know, get out of here?"

"Good idea." Nancy agreed. "We left Joe out front..." Vanessa started towards the front of the museum; Nancy and Frank followed behind, a bit more slowly. Nancy cocked her head to look at Frank. "...Did you just compare kissing me to jumping off the roof of a two-story building into the bushes below?"

Frank grinned. "Well, did it scare you?"

"Which? The kiss or the roof?"

"The kiss."

"Yes." It scared her a lot. How was she going to face Ned? How could she tell him that she needed to be with Frank? How could she tell him that his suspicions had been right all along, even if she hadn't known it? And worse, what if Frank didn't plan on breaking it off with Callie? If, to him, the past few days had just been part of the harmless flirtation they'd always engaged in?

A commotion arose from the roof. The trio stopped to listen to the shouts of the policemen.

"They're gone!" "Where'd they go?" "What is going on here!"

Vanessa gasped. "Charity and Fiona! They must have gotten away somehow..."

Nancy breathed a sigh. "Those two are trickier than I thought..." Secretly, she was glad they were not hurt; especially Charity, who, after all, had taken her place on the roof back there. She knew she would have been heartsick if they had been shot while letting her escape.

"They tricked _us_, you know." Frank whispered, as if reading her mind. "The Mirage was a fake; they had Vanessa the whole time."

Nancy's mind absorbed the facts, but she still couldn't bring herself to wish the two thieves harm. "I think they've proved they aren't as bad as they think they are." she replied.

Frank snorted. "Oh yes, they are."

Vanessa jumped as an arm snaked around her waist.

"Hey, beautiful."

"Joe!" Vanessa threw her arms around her boyfriend, who had snuck up on her from behind, followed closely by George.

"George? What are you doing here?" Frank asked.

"Joe called me in." George said. "Something about driving a getaway car..."

"Yeah, I had a plan and needed help. And it would have worked, too, except the police had to come and screw it up."

Nancy smiled guiltily. "My fault. I tripped the alarm."

"On purpose?" her friends chorused incredulously.

Nancy wasn't sure if she could explain just why she had set off the alarm, so she just nodded.

"That was a brave and stupid thing to do." Frank nodded appreciatively.

Nancy was pretty sure he understood what she was feeling. "Well, it got us all out of this mess, didn't it?" she asked.

"We're not out yet." Joe reminded them. "We are standing mere yards away from a museum that was just robbed, wearing all black and talking about alarms. If we don't get out of here, we'll still be arrested!"

"Wait," Vanessa interjected. "Don't we need to give the police our information? This whole incident needs to be reported; maybe they can still catch Charity and the Foxes!"

Nancy, Joe, and Frank looked at each other. Did they really want to report the cat burglars? Yes, they had gotten the teens into this mess in the first place, but they had also gotten them back out, no real harm done...

"They'll be long gone by now." Joe said uncertainly, wondering if he was going soft.

"I'm sure we'll run into them again." Frank replied, nodding to his brother. His eyes conveyed a clear message: we'll let them go... this time.

"And next time," Nancy added, "We'll actually catch them."

"Amen!" Vanessa put in.

George looked around at the sorry sight that was her friends. "You guys look like you could use a vacation." she joked.

The four teens nodded wearily back at her. "You drive home?" Nancy suggested.

"Looks like I still get to drive the getaway car!" George agreed, leading them to where her car was parked several blocks away. "Where to? Your motel here or back to Casa Verde?"

"Casa Verde!" Nancy, Frank, and Joe chorused emphatically, climbing into the backseat.

"Gotcha." George said, turning the key in the ignition. Taking a look in the rear view mirror, she saw Nancy rest her head on Frank's shoulder and close her eyes. She thought of Ned and Callie back at Casa Verde and wondered how these romantic entanglements could possibly work out. _No use in upsetting them now,_she thought. She trusted Ned and Callie to tell Nancy and Frank about what had gone on during their absence. Neither of them were liars.

Sighing, George turned the car onto the highway. All four of her passengers were already asleep.

* * *

A/N: Okay, weird stopping place, I know.** Please review**; I really don't know what to think of this chapter myself; I need to hear your thoughts and feelings! (Make it worth the time I spent doing this instead of my homework, _please_...) 


	17. Chapter Seventeen

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers! I'm so glad you guys thought last chapter was good; I was worried it might have been going too fast. Anyway, here's a new chapter; read and review!

Disclaimer: I don't own Nancy Drew, the Hardy boys, their friends, etc., and am making no money at all off this little story.

* * *

The next morning, Nancy woke up in her bedroom at Casa Verde. Groggily, she sat up, wincing at the pain in her aching limbs. She looked around. Vanessa was sitting on the next bed over watching the news, and Callie was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, Nancy." Vanessa said. "How are you feeling?"

"A little sore." Nancy replied. Jumping off a roof would do that to you. "And yourself?"

"Oh, I'm great." Vanessa replied. "Although…" she displayed her blistered wrists, still red from being taped together for a long time.

Nancy cringed. "Ouch…"

Vanessa laughed. "I think I'm getting used to it."

"Good." Nancy teased, "Because if you continue to see Joe, this might happen a lot more often."

"Oh, it's totally worth it." Vanessa deadpanned.

"Oh, but of course." Nancy grinned. "Hey, what are you watching?"

"Weather." Vanessa groaned. She pulled back the curtains. "Look outside; it's pouring! It's freezing out too."

Nancy sighed when the TV suddenly caught her eye. "Check it out!" she gasped. The news anchor was reporting on the museum robbery.

"…Police are baffled by a break-in that occurred at the local museum around one am last night. Around 1:15, the police responded to an alarm that was triggered inside the museum, and ended up participating in a deadly showdown with two apparently-armed thieves. The officers shot them down only to discover that, when they got to the bodies, they were missing. It is obvious the thieves were after the Velasquez exhibit, although, mysteriously, nothing was taken. Only the two thieves were seen: both girls in their late teens or early twenties, one with long blonde hair and one with dark red. So far, there are no leads. If anyone has any information on the break-in, they are urged to call our tipline at 1-800-555-4352. In other news…"

Nancy switched off the TV. "So I guess it really happened." she said.

"Oh, it did." Vanessa agreed. "Did you think you got those bruises on the beach?"

"I was half-hoping it was all a dream…" Nancy sighed.

Vanessa cocked an eyebrow. "Even the liplock with Frank?" she asked teasingly.

Nancy blushed. "Actually, that was my favorite part..."

"You have to talk to him." Vanessa said wisely.

"I know." Nancy grumbled. "But I have to talk to Ned first."

"You mean break up with him?"

"Yes."

"Bummer."

"You're telling me."

* * *

Nancy felt insanely nervous huddling in the cold rain outside Ned's door. _What a way to ruin a vacation,_ she thought. _What kind of girl goes to the beach with a guy and goes home with a different one?_ But she was getting ahead of herself; it was entirely possible that Frank and Callie would work out their differences, the way she and Ned always did. Nancy sighed; _But not today._ She couldn't bring herself to hurt Ned anymore by being with him when she didn't love him. She had to end it today, before it got any worse, even though it scared her. She knew it was unspeakably selfish; but she didn't want to let go of Ned until she could be sure of Frank… but she couldn't be sure, and she had to let go. With a new resolve, she knocked on his door.

Ned opened the door. "Nan. You're back! How'd it go?" He held the door wide to let her in and gave her a halfhearted kiss on the forehead.

"It went fine. We got Vanessa back, didn't we?" Nancy kept her tone normal.

"What happened to you?" Ned asked with concern, eyeing her black-and-blue arms.

"Oh, you know, occupational hazards…" Nancy said lightly.

Ned smiled. "Yeah. I saw Frank about ten minutes ago. He's looking pretty beat up too. Shiner and everything."

Nancy winced. "Yeah, he had a hard night last night…Did he fill you in?" She wondered why she was beating around the bush instead of saying what she came to say.

"Briefly."

"Yeah…"

They were standing awkwardly just inside the door, not realizing they both needed to say the same thing.

"Ned-"

"Hold on, Nancy. I need to tell you something." Ned started painfully.

Nancy almost interrupted, but she could tell that he had something important to say. She let him lead her to a seat on the bed and listened guiltily, hoping he wouldn't say anything that would make her lose her nerve when it was her turn to talk.

"Okay, well, you know that when it comes to you and Frank, I've always been a little jealous, right, because you two have a lot in common and you understand each other a lot better than I do. And I know that you've always told me that even though Frank is a good friend, you're in love with me."

Nancy's insides were twisting. _What was he saying?_ Nausea rose in her throat, but she tried not to show it.

Ned took a breath and went on. "And I've always been a little skeptical that you weren't in love with Frank. Even now, I don't know if you're telling the truth, or even if you know. But I want to give you a chance to figure it out. I think we should break it off."

Nancy gaped. _Ned _was breaking up with _her_! This was certainly a twist. She didn't know whether to laugh, cry, or just pretend she was upset. She settled on a blank expression.

Ned didn't stop. "And I won't lie to you about why, either. It's because…well, because I've been spending a lot of time with Callie and I like her a lot."

Nancy couldn't stop her surprise from showing.

Ned must have taken her shocked expression for anger because he hurriedly continued. "I'm sorry, Nancy, but Callie and I have lots of things in common, and we can talk about anything, and I think this might be my only shot at… well, the kind of thing you and Frank have." He leveled his gaze at her, his brown eyes searching her face for some sign that she understood.

Nancy was stunned and relieved at the same time. She gave him a thin smile. "I, um, came here to say the same thing."

A shadow of anger flickered across Ned's face. "You and Frank? I knew it. Why didn't you just tell me?"

"I haven't been lying to you." Nancy said honestly. "I'm still not sure what's going on between me and Frank, but… I'm willing to try this out and see what happens."

Ned nodded. Then, cracking a smile, he pulled her into a friendly hug. Suddenly, he pulled back. "Is Frank planning on breaking it off with Callie?" he asked anxiously.

Nancy frowned. "I don't know. We never talked about it." Something seemed to occur to her. "Ned, if they work things out, we can't come between them."

"I wouldn't want to." Ned said softly.

"You're a good guy, Ned Nickerson."

"Shouldn't you go find Frank?" Ned returned fondly.

Nancy bit her lip. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know who Frank had chosen: her or Callie.

"You'll feel better once you know, no matter what happens." Ned said, being pretty much in the same boat.

Nancy nodded, then turned on her heel and headed into the pouring rain.

* * *

A/N: Alright, I'm going to need feedback on this one because it was hard to write. I tried to figure out how the characters would act, and this is what I got. Please let me know what you thought; I'd really appreciate it! By the way, I'm thinking one more chapter should wrap this up. Review! 


	18. Chapter Eighteen

A/N: I love you guys. Really, thanks for reading my story. Anyway, I've decided this is the penultimate chapter... I love that word. And, uh, just a warning: this chapter is hopelessly fluffy... Okay, now go ahead: read!

Disclaimer: Not claiming anything. Okay?

* * *

Joe sat on Vanessa's bed and took her hands. "Do they hurt a lot?" he questioned, gently rubbing her raw wrists.

Vanessa pulled her hands back. "You don't have to worry about me, Joe. I'm fine."

Joe sighed. "I know... but worrying about you has become somewhat of a habit over the past few days." He slipped an arm around her waist. "Right now, I'm just glad you're here for me to fuss over."

"You can say that again." Vanessa agreed. "That whole experience was pretty wild, huh?"

"Pretty scary, you mean." Joe replied grimly. "I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you."

Vanessa's eyes grew moist. She could feel how serious Joe was, and it unsettled her. Vanessa always worried what would happen to Joe if she were to get hurt or killed. She knew that he had lost his first serious girlfriend to a terrorist bomb and that he had never gotten over it, but it had always been somewhat of a taboo subject with them. "Joe." she said, just as seriously. "Don't worry about it. I'm not going anywhere."

"Not this time," Joe said. "But what about when we run into a really evil criminal? There are loads of people out there who would think nothing of killing you if you were ever in that position again..."

Vanessa took his face in her hands. "I love you, Joe. And if that's the risk I'm taking by being with you, then so be it."

"I'd start an argument, but I know you won't back down." Joe murmured good-naturedly, breaking the serious mood.

"Darn right." Vanessa smirked, shifting slightly to kiss the corners of his mouth.

Joe laughed and pulled her body against his, meeting her lips gently.

Vanessa slid her arms around his neck and then suddenly gasped and pulled away, blowing on her sore wrists. "I guess they do hurt a bit..." she said sheepishly.

Joe grinned. "I'm sorry."

Vanessa shook it off. "Well, like Callie says, it comes with the territory when you date a Hardy!"

"Great..." Joe grumbled. He had a thought. "Speaking of Callie, she and Frank went off together a while ago."

"She might not be dating a Hardy much longer..." Vanessa finished.

Joe shook his head. "I don't know about that. Frank might not have it in him to kick her to the curb."

Vanessa elbowed him. "Hey, Callie's still my best friend!" she protested.

"Just kidding..."

A sudden knock on the door startled them. Joe got up and opened it. "Hey, Nance, come on in, it's cold out there."

"Thanks, but no thanks," Nancy replied quickly. "I just wondered if, um... maybe either of you have seen Frank?"

Joe shook his head, "Sorry, Nancy, not since this morning."

"Me neither," Vanessa said, coming to stand next to Joe. She winked. "Don't worry, you'll find him."

Nancy smiled at her friend. She was about to reply when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned in surprise to find Callie standing there. "Hi." was all she could come up with.

"Hey." Callie answered. She glanced at Joe and Vanessa and then back to Nancy. "He, ah, went towards the beach." she said.

Nancy just stared at this unexpected source of help. She was even more surprised when Callie winked at her a second later. "Go on," she urged. Then she handed Nancy the bundle she was holding. "And, um, bring him this. Idiot ran off without his coat..."

_They must have broken up! _Nancy's mind screamed._ Callie has stepped aside.__It's your turn to talk to Frank. _Excitement welled up in Nancy as she stared from the jacket in her hands to Callie and back again. Callie, Joe, and Vanessa were all watching her. "Okay, I'm going!" she laughed, taking off towards the beach. About twenty feet away, she turned around. "Thanks, Callie!" she called.

"Anytime!" Callie returned with a grin.

Nancy kicked off her shoes before she went down to the beach. It was cold and wet out, but she'd rather the wet sand be on her feet than in her sneakers. She shivered as her bare feet touched the freezing sand anyway, the cold sea breeze whipping her hair around and pelting her face with raindrops. _How unromantic, _she thought wryly.

She jogged along the beach, keeping an eye out for Frank. Finally spotting a figure, the only one on the beach, she ran towards it. It was unmistakably Frank, and Nancy realized he was looking out to the ocean and that he couldn't see her. She considered sneaking up on him, but that would keep her in the rain a lot longer, she decided, and she was cold. Taking the chance that he wasn't feeling as happy about this turn of events as she was, she shouted, "Wouldn't it be ironic if we died of pneumonia out here?"

Frank turned, his arms folded across his chest, an amused expression on his face. "You know what, Nan?" he asked. "Looks like its you and me."

_What does he mean by that?_ Nancy wondered vaguely. What she said was, "Ned was right, your eye looks awful." Frank's handsome features were masked by a series of dark bruises from his encounter at the hotel, including a black eye.

Frank laughed softly. "So that's how it's gonna be, Drew? I'm finally free to tell you that I love you and all you can do is insult my appearance?"

Nancy was almost shocked by Frank's words, but not quite. They'd had feelings for each other for a long time now. "No, no, it's a nice black eye." she teased, pulling herself together. "It suits you."

Frank grinned at the beautiful girl standing cockily in front of him, taking in her disheveled appearance from her bare, sandy feet to her windswept hair, glittering with rain droplets. He took a step toward her and she involuntarily took a step back.

"How do you know I'm not still with Ned?" she whispered.

Frank shook his head. "You broke it off with him as soon as you could, same as I did with Callie."

Nancy's eyes sparkled. "But how do you know?"

"Because I know you, and I know that you're an honest person. You wouldn't want to keep up the charade with Ned when every minute it could mean hurting him more."

He delivered his answer with such sincerity that Nancy had to ask, "How much will your face hurt if I kiss you right now?"

Frank bit back a laugh. "I don't know, but I'm willing to try it out..." He lowered his lips to hers.

Nancy returned the kiss in the spirit that it was given: a trial, a test run, the first time they could kiss without worrying about being seen, the first time they could end the kiss and choose to start a relationship, the first time they could end the kiss and share another...

The two teens broke apart, breathing heavily. Frank leaned down to kiss her again, just because he could.

Nancy smiled up at him. "It stopped raining..." she noted softly.

Frank saw her shiver slightly. "Cold?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"I guess." Nancy said.

Frank gently took the jacket Nancy forgot she'd been holding and slipped it over her shoulders.

They both laughed.

* * *

The next day, Nancy and the Hardys drove back up to the shady motel to collect their stuff. Vanessa tagged along, deciding to spend a few hours with her Aunt Rachel after all (and hoping she could persuade her to move to a nicer neighborhood.)

Nancy laughed as she re-entered the awful motel room, casually leading Frank by the hand. "I will be so glad when we never have to come here again."

"You can say that again." Joe agreed, tossing his clothes and toothbrush back into his duffel. He stopped suddenly, coming upon his wallet, which, curiously, had a scrap of paper pinned to it. "What's this?" he wondered, holding the sheet of paper up to the light. Reading its message, he half-sighed, half-laughed. "Check this out, you two."

Frank and Nancy gathered under the flickering ceiling lamp. Frank took the note and read it aloud.

"_Dear Joe, Frank, and Nancy,_

_Just wanted to let you know we are alive and well, and hold no grudges about the alarm fiasco. (Yes, Nancy, we know that was you.) Show this note to the police if you will, but we will be long gone by the time you find it. Anyway, it's been a pleasure working with you all._

_Until we meet again,_

_Charity, Fiona, and Dr. Fox_"

"I don't believe this!" Nancy exclaimed, shaking her head in amusement. "They've got some nerve."

Frank grinned. "Wait, there's more; just wait till you hear this." He continued reading.

"_P.S.- Joe, to prove there are no hard feelings between us, I managed to convince Charity to return the wallet she lifted from you a few days ago. Much love. -F.F."_

Nancy and Frank burst out laughing.

Joe rolled his eyes and made a grab for his wallet. "Give me that!"

"Well, at least they're okay." Nancy said, sobering up. "I have to admit I was worried about them."

"Don't worry for them." Joe snorted. "They always bounce back!"

"And they're not done with us." Frank mused, rereading the note. "_'Until we meet again...'_"

Joe groaned. "Great."

"Actually, I can't wait." Frank said. "We definitely have a score to settle..."

"Definitely." Joe and Nancy agreed.

* * *

A/N: I've got one more epilogue-type chapter for this story. And then that's it... PLEASE REVIEW! I always feel vaguely uncomfortable after posting one of these romantic-type chapters because they're sort of controversial, what with the pairings and all... so ease my mind and give me your honest opinion! 


	19. Chapter Nineteen

A/N: Well, this wraps it up for LMM... it's too bad, it was a lot of fun to write. (Not that my other stories aren't.) I hope you guys like my little loose-end-tier-upper chapter. Thanks for the reviews, and of course, read and enjoy!

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

Joe, Vanessa, Bess, and George sat around the small table in their motel room eating nachos.

"I cannot believe the weather is so lousy!" Bess complained. "It's too cold outside to do anything!"

"I know." Vanessa agreed sadly. "And we're going home tomorrow. What a awful end to an already terrible vacation!"

"It wasn't that bad." George spoke up.

Joe nodded. "It had its good points."

Vanessa rolled her eyes. "Well, you didn't spend two days of it tied up in someone else's hotel room while they plot to rob a local museum!"

"I guess that would be one of the bad points." Bess said sympathetically. "Don't you ever wish we could take just one _normal_ vacation? You know, with no robberies or kidnappings or murder investigations, just sun, sand, and surf..." she trailed off wistfully.

"Nah," Joe replied. "That would be pretty boring."

"Always up for a case...You sound just like Nancy." George laughed.

"Or Frank." Joe added. "And speaking of those two..."

"I _know_!" Bess squealed. "Who'd have guessed everything would work out so perfectly!"

George shook her head in amusement. "Oddly enough, that was the strangest part of this vacation. Nan and Callie make boyfriend-swapping look easy!"

"I don't know about that." Vanessa said. "I was talking to Callie and she said that she and Ned are pretty serious already, making plans to visit each other and stuff... That's gotta be awkward. I mean, when we go back to Bayport, Callie and Frank will be together all the time. We all go to the same school, live in the same neighborhood... And what's going to happen with Frank and Nancy?"

"Sort of the opposite, I think." Bess said. "They haven't made any plans. Nancy said they've never had a problem connecting before, why should they have one now?"

"They're just going to take it as it comes and see what happens?" Vanessa asked skeptically. "After all of that drama?"

George laughed. "You don't get it." she said. "You couldn't keep Nancy and Frank apart if you tried. They'll always meet up somehow, somewhere completely unexpected, and they'll always be attracted to each other."

"It's true." Joe agreed. "See, that's the difference between Frank and Nancy and Ned and Callie. Ned and Callie are_ looking_ for romantic relationships; Frank and Nancy's just sort of finds_ them_."

"So, they're dating... unofficially?" Vanessa wondered.

Joe shrugged. "Sure. That's one way of putting it."

George looked around. "I haven't seen them all day, either. I wonder where they went?"

Bess elbowed her. "It's our last day!" she said. "They won't see each other until who-knows-when! They're probably off doing something romantic..." she sighed.

* * *

"So you jumped off the roof!" Callie exclaimed in disbelief. "Oh my God!"

Nancy shrugged. "It wasn't that far... Plus I had no choice: it was that or get caught."

"Or shot..." Frank added.

"So what then?" Ned asked, stretching out his legs. The four teens were sitting around a picnic table under the ominous-looking gray sky.

"I watched from the bushes as the cops confronted Charity and Fiona." Nancy continued. "The police ordered them to put their hands in the air, but they didn't. The police warned them again-"

Frank picked up the story. "But they started reaching under their jackets, so the cops shot them down."

Callie gasped, and Ned looked surprised. "Really?" he questioned.

Frank shook his head. "That's the weird part. We don't even know. What we do know is that by the time the police got to the roof, there was no trace of them. No blood, footprints, evidence, anything."

"Typical Fox fashion..." Nancy murmured.

"And Charity could work her way out of a maximum security prison." Frank added. "She's like a Houdini or something!"

"But that means you didn't catch them." Callie reminded them.

Nancy shrugged. "Yes, but at least they went away empty-handed."

"This time..." Ned said skeptically.

"Hey!" Nancy defended lightly. "They're slippery! I'd like to see you take them on!"

Ned gave her a lopsided grin. "Thankfully, I don't see that happening anytime soon." He was glad that his new status freed him from worry of such matters. "But, uh, next time you see them, say hi for me."

"But you haven't heard the best part." Nancy said, grinning. "When we went back to the hotel, we found a note from them, thanking us for a pleasurable working experience."

"And returning Joe's wallet, which he didn't even realize was missing." Frank chuckled.

The four friends laughed.

Suddenly they were hit by a gust of cold wind. Callie shivered. "Remind me why we're sitting out here again?" She asked, as Ned wrapped a warm arm around her shoulders.

"So that Joe and the girls can talk about us behind our backs in peace." Frank laughed. Under the table, he found Nancy's hand and took it gently.

Their eyes met briefly and she smiled reassuringly. Then she broke the stare. "Wait, so why can't _we _ sit inside and_ they_ come out here?"

Frank shook his head. "It's just the way of the world." He joked in mock sadness.

Callie clutched her light jacket around her and stood up. "Really, though, I'm freezing. Who's up for the arcade?"

Ned shot her an amused look. "Yeah, you look like you could use some Pac-man."

"Actually," Callie teased. "I happen to be the grand master of skeeball."

Frank rolled his eyes at the two of them, but he was actually pleased that they still got along together so well, despite all of the break-ups and stolen kisses the group had between them.

"Why don't-"

"How about-"

Nancy and Frank had spoken at the same time. Nancy grinned and motioned for Frank to go ahead.

"Why don't you two go on," Frank suggested. "I think Nan and I are going to hang out here..."

As Callie and Ned said goodbye and walked off, Nancy leaned on Frank's shoulder and stood on tiptoe to whisper in his ear. "You know, Hardy, I like the way you think."

* * *

A/N: Okay, bizarre and abrupt ending... but it was really just a pointless wrap-up chapter. I may do a sequel to this or not, but I want to finish my other stories before I start anything new. (Yeah, right.) So anyway, last chapter... last chance to give me your thoughts and opinions on this story... I'm getting all choked up. Joking. But thanks for reading. Love you guys! Now review! 


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